Capacity of a party

It refers to the general capacity to be a party to a civil lawsuit. It is a general capacity that is unrelated to the content of a specific lawsuit, and is different from standing to be a party (meaning the ability to receive a judgment on the merits in relation to a specific subject matter of a specific case).

Since the issues in a lawsuit are rights and obligations under substantive law, the parties to the lawsuit must be those who can be the subjects of rights and obligations under substantive law. For this reason, the capacity to be a party is said to follow the provisions of the Civil Code (Article 28 of the Civil Procedure Code), and in the end, it is considered the same as the capacity to have rights under substantive law. Therefore, natural persons and corporations that have legal capacity under substantive law have the capacity to be a party. In addition, the state and local governments also have the capacity to be a party. Furthermore, the Civil Procedure Code recognizes the capacity to be a party to a lawsuit for associations or foundations that do not have legal capacity under substantive law and that have a designated representative or administrator (Article 29 of the same Code). For example, alumni associations, youth groups, and labor unions without legal personality fall into this category, and this is a reflection of the fact that they are actually operating as legal subjects in society in the context of lawsuits. The capacity of a party is a requirement for a lawsuit, and the court must investigate it at its discretion. If there is a lack of capacity, the court must dismiss the lawsuit as improper.

[Yoshinobu Homma]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

民事訴訟において当事者となりうる一般的能力をいう。具体的な訴訟事件の内容とは無関係な一般的な能力であって、当事者適格（具体的事件における特定の訴訟物との関係で本案判決を受けるに適する資格をいう）とは異なる。

　訴訟で争われるのは実体法上の権利・義務であるから、訴訟当事者たりうるのは、実体法上の権利・義務の主体たりうる者でなければならない。このゆえに、当事者能力は民法の規定に従うとされ（民事訴訟法28条）、結局、実体法上の権利能力と同様に考えられる。それゆえ、実体法上の権利能力者たる自然人、法人は当事者能力を有する。このほか、国、地方公共団体も当事者能力を有する。さらに、民事訴訟法は、実体法上は権利能力を有しない、権利能力なき社団または財団のうち、代表者または管理人の定めあるものに当事者能力を認めた（同法29条）。たとえば、同窓会、青年団、法人格をもたない労働組合などがこれに該当するが、社会で現実に法主体として活動していることの訴訟面への反映である。当事者が当事者能力を有することは訴訟要件であり、裁判所は職権でもって調査しなければならず、これの欠缺(けんけつ)あるときは、裁判所は訴えを不適法として却下しなければならない。

［本間義信］

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