Legal costs - legal costs

Japanese: 訴訟費用 - そしょうひよう

The costs of litigation that are prescribed by law.

[Ichiro Uchida]

Legal costs in criminal proceedings

These are expenses incurred during litigation that are specifically designated by law as criminal litigation expenses, and include the following:

(1) Travel expenses, daily allowances and accommodation fees to be paid to witnesses, etc. who are required to appear at trial dates or in preparation for trial, or who are examined at trial dates or in preparation for trial.
(2) Fees for expert witnesses, interpreters or translators who provide expert witnesses, interpreters or translators in the course of a trial or in preparation for a trial, and expenses to be paid or reimbursed to such experts, interpreters or translators.
(3) Travel expenses, daily allowances, accommodation fees and remuneration to be paid to the defense counsel pursuant to Article 38, Paragraph 2 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Article 2 of the Law Concerning the Costs of Criminal Procedure, etc.; some provisions are also provided for in other laws and regulations = Article 1 of the same Law)
When a sentence is handed down, the court must make the defendant pay all or part of the court costs, except when it is clear that the defendant is unable to pay the court costs due to poverty (Criminal Procedure Law, Article 181). The court may make the accomplices pay the court costs jointly and severally (Criminal Procedure Law, Article 182). When the defendant is found not guilty or acquitted, the complainant, accuser, or requester may pay the court costs if they acted intentionally or with gross negligence (Criminal Procedure Law, Article 183, Paragraph 1). When a person other than the public prosecutor withdraws an appeal, the court may make the person pay the costs of the appeal, retrial, or formal trial (Criminal Procedure Law, Article 184). In order to make the defendant pay the court costs, the court must make the judgment ex officio. Depending on the circumstances, an appeal or immediate appeal may be filed against this judgment (Criminal Procedure Law, Articles 185 and 186). The public prosecutor who is in charge of the execution may determine the amount to be paid (Criminal Procedure Law, Article 188). There is also a system for applying for exemption from litigation costs on the grounds of poverty (Article 500 of the same law).

The above are all provisions regarding the burden of litigation costs when prosecution is filed, but the 2004 amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure established provisions regarding the burden of litigation costs in cases where prosecution is not filed. In cases where prosecution is not filed, the suspect will not be required to pay the costs of a public defender at the suspect stage in principle, but if the costs arise due to reasons attributable to the suspect, they may be required to be borne by the suspect (Article 181, Paragraph 4). In addition, in cases where prosecution is not filed, if the plaintiff or accuser acted with intent or gross negligence, they may be required to pay the litigation costs (Article 183, Paragraph 2).

[Ichiro Uchida and Morikazu Taguchi]

Litigation costs in civil litigation

Litigation costs refer to expenses incurred by the parties and the court as directly necessary for the conduct and adjudication of a lawsuit, within the scope of the law. The state has established the civil litigation system, and the expenses of the institution itself, such as personnel costs and maintenance costs of the court, are covered by the state budget, but the expenses necessary for the conduct of each lawsuit are to be borne by the parties and other related parties in that lawsuit. Litigation costs are expenses incurred by the parties in the lawsuit that are directly necessary for the conduct of each lawsuit, and under the Civil Procedure Act, litigation costs are those stipulated in Article 2 of the "Law on Civil Litigation Costs, etc." (Law No. 40 of 1971), and the amount is also determined by the same article.

Litigation costs can be divided into court costs and party costs. Court costs are the expenses that the parties must pay to the court in carrying out the litigation, such as the filing fee, and the costs of service, publication, and examination of evidence. Party costs are the expenses that the parties themselves must incur without paying to the court in carrying out the litigation. For example, the costs of preparing the complaint and other litigation documents, and the travel, daily allowance, and accommodation costs necessary for the parties to appear at oral argument hearings. Party costs are different from court costs, and even those who receive litigation assistance must incur them themselves. It is generally believed that the costs of the lawyers that the parties hire to carry out the litigation are not included in litigation costs. However, there is also a strong argument that lawyer's fees should also be included in litigation costs. In principle, litigation costs are borne by the losing party (Civil Procedure Act, Article 61, Exceptions, Article 62 et seq.).

[Takeyoshi Uchida and Tetsuo Kato]

[References] | Court costs | Legal aid | Lawyers

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

訴訟にかかる費用のうち、法律に定められたものをいう。

［内田一郎］

刑事訴訟における訴訟費用

訴訟中で生じた費用のうち法律がとくに刑事訴訟費用として定めるものをいい、以下のものがある。

(1)公判期日もしくは公判準備につき出頭させ、または公判期日もしくは公判準備において取り調べた証人等に支給すべき旅費、日当および宿泊料
(2)公判期日または公判準備において鑑定、通訳または翻訳をさせた鑑定人、通訳人または翻訳人に支給すべき鑑定料、通訳料または翻訳料および支払い、または償還すべき費用
(3)刑事訴訟法第38条2項の規定により弁護人に支給すべき旅費、日当、宿泊料および報酬（以上、刑事訴訟費用等に関する法律2条。なお、他の法令に定めるものもある＝同法1条）
　刑の言渡しをしたときは、貧困のため訴訟費用を納付することができないことが明らかであるときを除き、被告人に訴訟費用の全部または一部を負担させなければならない（刑事訴訟法181条）。共犯の訴訟費用は、共犯人に連帯して負担させることができる（同法182条）。被告人が無罪または免訴の裁判を受けた場合、告訴人、告発人または請求人に故意または重大な過失があったときは、その者に訴訟費用を負担させることができる（同法183条1項）。検察官以外の者が上訴等を取り下げたときは、その者に上訴、再審または正式裁判に関する費用を負担させることができる（同法184条）。訴訟費用を負担させるには職権でその裁判をしなければならない。この裁判に対しては場合により、不服申立てまたは即時抗告が認められる（同法185条、186条）。負担額の算定を執行の指揮をすべき検察官がする場合がある（同法188条）。また、貧困を理由とする訴訟費用執行免除の申立ての制度がある（同法500条）。

　以上は、すべて公訴提起があったときの訴訟費用の負担に関する規定であるが、2004年（平成16）の刑事訴訟法改正により、不起訴となった事件についての訴訟費用の負担に関する規定が整備された。公訴が提起されなかった場合において、被疑者段階の国選弁護費用は、原則として被疑者に負担させることはないが、被疑者の責めに帰すべき事由により生じた費用があるときは、これを被疑者に負担させることができる（181条4項）。また、公訴が提起されなかった場合において、告訴人、告発人などに故意または重大な過失があったときは、これらの者に訴訟費用を負担させることができる（183条2項）。

［内田一郎・田口守一］

民事訴訟における訴訟費用

訴訟の遂行・審判のために直接必要なものとして当事者および裁判所が支出した費用のうち法定範囲のものをいう。国家は民事訴訟制度を設けているのであって、その機構自体の経費、たとえば裁判所の人件費や営繕費などは国家の予算でまかなっているが、個々の訴訟遂行に必要な費用は、これをその訴訟の当事者その他の関係人に負担させることとしている。そこで訴訟費用とは、当事者が個々の訴訟遂行に直接必要な当該訴訟手続に関して生じた費用のことであり、民事訴訟法上では、「民事訴訟費用等に関する法律」（昭和46年法律第40号）第2条が定めているものが訴訟費用となり、その額も同条の定めによる。

　訴訟費用は裁判費用と当事者費用に分類できる。裁判費用とは、当事者が訴訟遂行するについて裁判所に納付しなければならない費額で、たとえば、申立ての手数料、送達・公告・証拠調べの費用などである。当事者費用とは、当事者自身が訴訟遂行について裁判所に納付することなく、自ら支出しなければならない費用である。たとえば、訴状その他の訴訟書類の作成費用、当事者が口頭弁論期日に出頭するために必要な旅費、日当、宿泊料などである。当事者費用は裁判費用とは異なり、訴訟上の救助を受けた者でも、自ら支出しなければならない。なお、当事者が訴訟遂行のために依頼した弁護士に対する費用は、訴訟費用に入らないとするのが通説である。しかし、弁護士報酬も訴訟費用に含ませるべき、との主張も強い。訴訟費用は、原則として敗訴の当事者が負担することとなっている（民事訴訟法61条、例外62条以下）。

［内田武吉・加藤哲夫］

[参照項目] | 裁判費用 | 訴訟上の救助 | 弁護士

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

<<: Litigation - Soshobutsu

>>: Capacity to sue - capacity to sue (English spelling)