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To later extinguish the effect of a legal act that has already occurred, retroactively from the time of the act. For example, if a sales contract that has already been concluded is rescinded due to the person being a minor or having limited legal capacity, the contract will be considered as having never been concluded in the first place. It is similar to invalidity, but while invalidity can generally be asserted by anyone at any time (although there are cases where this is not the case, in which case invalidity is similar to rescission), in the case of rescission, the legal act in question remains valid until it is rescinded, and the people who can rescind it are limited to certain people.

A legal act can be rescinded if there is a reason for rescinding it. Such a status that can be rescinded is called the right to rescind (a type of right of formation). Those with the right to rescind include persons with limited legal capacity (minors, adult wards, persons under guardianship, and persons under assistance), persons who have made a defective manifestation of intention (persons who have made a manifestation of intention through fraud or duress), their representatives, successors, and persons who can give consent to persons with limited legal capacity (Civil Code, Article 120). The method of exercising the right to rescind is by manifesting intention to the other party (Civil Code, Article 123). When rescinded, the legal act is considered to have been invalid from the beginning (Civil Code, Article 121), and if performance has already been performed, the original state must be restored. Such a right to rescind will be extinguished if it is not exercised within five years from the time when ratification can be made or within 20 years from the time of the act (Civil Code, Article 126).

In addition to the general rescission mentioned above, there are also special rescission such as the rescission of gifts (Article 550 of the same law) and the rescission of contracts between husband and wife (Article 754 of the same law), as well as judicial rescission such as the rescission of fraudulent acts (Article 424 of the same law) and the rescission of acts of personal status (such as marriage), which have a different legal nature from the general rescission mentioned above.

[Takahisa Awaji]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

いったん発生している法律行為の効力を、あとから行為のときにさかのぼって消滅させること。たとえば、未成年や制限行為能力を理由としていったん締結した売買契約を取り消すと、契約は初めから結ばれなかったことになる。無効と似ているが、無効はだれでもいつでも主張できるのが原則である（そうでない場合もあり、この場合には、無効は取消しに近似する）のに対し、取消しの場合、取り消すまでは当該法律行為は有効であり、また、取り消しうる者は一定の者に限られる点で異なる。

　法律行為は、取消し原因がある場合に取り消すことができる。このような取り消しうる地位を取消権（形成権の一種）という。取消権者は制限行為能力者（未成年者、成年被後見人、被保佐人、被補助人）、瑕疵(かし)ある意思表示をした者（詐欺・強迫による意思表示をした者）、その代理人、承継人、および制限行為能力者に同意をなすことができる者である（民法120条）。取消権行使の方法は、相手方に対する意思表示によってする（同法123条）。取り消すと法律行為は初めから無効であったものとみなされ（同法121条）、すでに給付がなされている場合には、原状回復がなされなければならない。このような取消権は、追認をなしうるときから5年間、行為のときから20年間これを行使しなければ、消滅する（同法126条）。

　なお、以上の原則的取消しのほか、贈与の取消し（同法550条）や夫婦間の契約の取消し（同法754条）のような特殊の取消し、詐害行為の取消し（同法424条）や身分行為（婚姻など）の取消しなどのような裁判上の取消しなどがあり、これらは前記の原則的取消しとは法律的性質が異なる。

［淡路剛久］

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