Temporary Measures Law on Fines, etc.

This law provisionally stipulated special provisions for the amounts of fines and penalties in response to changes in economic conditions. It was promulgated in 1948 (Showa 23) and came into force the following year, 1949. The old Penal Code in force at the time set fines at 20 yen or more (Article 15) and penalties at 10 sen or more and less than 20 yen (Article 17), but this law revised it to set fines at 1,000 yen or more (Article 2, paragraph 1) and penalties at 5 yen or more and less than 1,000 yen (Article 2, paragraph 2). In addition, the fines stipulated for crimes in the Penal Code, except for the crime in Article 152 (use of knowledge after obtaining counterfeit currency), crimes in the Law on the Punishment of Violence, etc., and crimes in the Law on the Improvement of Penal Provisions for Economic Relations, were set at 50 times the maximum amount (Article 3, paragraph 1). In addition, except for crimes specified in the ordinance, the fines for crimes other than these shall, in principle, be 2,000 yen if the larger amount is less than 2,000 yen, and 1,000 yen if the smaller amount is less than 1,000 yen (Article 4). Furthermore, in cases where the power to set fines is delegated to an ordinance by law, the maximum amount of the fine that can be set shall be 2,000 yen if it is less than 2,000 yen (Article 5), and the "fine of 5,000 yen or less," which is a requirement for suspension of execution of a sentence under Article 25 of the Penal Code, shall be changed to a "fine of 50,000 yen or less" (Article 6). In addition, changes to the amount of fines in the Code of Criminal Procedure (Article 7) are also stipulated. In the 1972 amendment, the fine was changed to 4,000 yen or more, the penalty to 20 yen or more but less than 4,000 yen, the 50 times penalty in Article 3, paragraph 1 was changed to 200 times the penalty, the large amount in Article 4 was changed to 8,000 yen, the small amount to 4,000 yen, the maximum fine in Article 5 was changed to 8,000 yen, and the requirement for suspension of execution in Article 6 was changed to a fine of 200,000 yen or less. Article 8 was also added, and the fine amount in the Traffic Crimes Summary Trial Procedure Law was changed. Furthermore, in the 1991 amendment to the Penal Code and the Temporary Measures Law for Fines, etc., the fines and penalty fees for crimes in the Penal Code were made to be governed by the provisions of the revised Penal Code, and Articles 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8 of this law were deleted. In addition, the large amount of fine in the Temporary Measures Law for Fines, etc. was changed to 20,000 yen, and the small amount to 10,000 yen.

[Oide Yoshitomo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

罰金および科料の額等について、経済事情の変動に伴い暫定的に特例を定めた法律。1948年（昭和23）に公布され、翌1949年に施行された。当時施行の旧刑法典は、罰金を20円以上（15条）、科料を10銭以上20円未満（17条）としていたが、本法は、罰金を1000円以上（2条1項）、科料を5円以上1000円未満（2条2項）と修正した。そして、第152条の罪（偽造通貨収得後知情行使）を除いた刑法の罪、暴力行為等処罰ニ関スル法律の罪、および経済関係罰則ノ整備ニ関スル法律の罪に定めた罰金について、それぞれ、その多額の50倍に相当する額をその多額とした（3条1項）。また、条例の罪を除き、これ以外の罪について定められた罰金については、原則として、その多額が2000円に満たないときは2000円、その寡額が1000円に満たないときは1000円とした（4条）。さらに、法律で命令に罰金の罰則を設けることを委任している場合に、規定できる罰金額の最高限度が2000円に満たないときに2000円にすること（5条）、刑法第25条によって刑の執行猶予の要件とされている「五千円以下ノ罰金」を「五万円以下ノ罰金」とすること（6条）を規定するほか、刑事訴訟法のなかの罰金額の変更（7条）についても規定した。その後、1972年（昭和47）の改正では、罰金を4000円以上、科料を20円以上4000円未満に、前記3条1項の50倍を200倍に、同4条の多額を8000円、寡額を4000円に、同5条の罰金額の最高限度を8000円に、同6条の執行猶予の要件を「二十万円以下ノ罰金」に変更した。また、第8条を加え、交通事件即決裁判手続法のなかの罰金額を変更した。さらに1991年（平成3）の刑法改正および罰金等臨時措置法改正により、刑法の罪に関する罰金、科料は改正刑法の規定によることとなり、本法の第2条、第3条、第6条、第7条、第8条は削除された。また罰金等臨時措置法による罰金の多額は2万円、寡額は1万円となった。

［大出良知］

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