Hyojosho - Hyojosho

The central organ of the Edo Shogunate. It was the Shogunate's highest judicial organ, where the three magistrates (the Magistrate of Temples and Shrines, the Magistrate of Towns, and the Magistrate of Accounts) would decide cases by consensus and answer judicial inquiries from the Roju. It was located at Tatsunokuchi outside the Wadakura Gate of Edo Castle. It is thought to have existed since the time of the second Shogun Hidetada, but it was not until 1635 (Kan'ei 12) during the time of the third Shogun Iemitsu that it was institutionalized. It consisted of the Hyojosho Ichiza, which was made up of the three magistrates, and the Hyojosho Tomeyaku, such as the head of the accounting group, who were dispatched from the three magistrates' offices to take charge of practical matters. Yoriai (council meetings) were held six times a month: the 2nd, 11th, and 21st on ceremonial days, and the 4th, 13th, and 25th on ceremonial days. On the ceremonial days, the Roju attended once every three times, and the Shogun's close aides such as the Ometsuke, Metsuke and Sobayonin were also in attendance, but no one other than the Ichiza had the right to deliberate. Decisions were made by majority vote, but when a decision could not be reached, each party wrote down their opinions and left it to the Roju to decide. Cases that came up for deliberation were civil cases (deirimono) where the plaintiff and defendant were under different magistrates, and criminal cases (sengimono) where there were important cases or where a high-ranking samurai was the suspect. The cases that were consulted were requests for punishment (shiokiukagai) submitted to the Roju by each magistrate or daimyo, and the Ichiza would review the documents and submit a decision to the Roju. Among the records compiled by the Hyojosho are the Saikyodome (Judgment and Permission to Prohibition), Oshiokirei Ruishu (Collection of Punishment Examples), and Ofuregaki Shusei (Collection of Imperial Edicts).

[Akira Takagi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸幕府の中央機関。三奉行(ぶぎょう)（寺社奉行・町奉行・勘定(かんじょう)奉行）が合議によって事件を裁決し、かつ老中の司法上の諮問に答える幕府の最高司法機関。江戸城和田倉(わだくら)門外の竜ノ口(たつのくち)にあった。2代将軍秀忠(ひでただ)のころからあったと考えられるが、制度的に整備されたのは3代家光(いえみつ)の1635年（寛永12）である。三奉行によって構成される評定所一座と、勘定組頭など三奉行所から派遣されて実務を担当する評定所留役(とめやく)からなっていた。寄合(よりあい)（評定）は毎月2、11、21日の式日(しきじつ)と4、13、25日の立合(たちあい)の6回行われた。式日には三度に一度は老中が出席したほか、大目付(おおめつけ)・目付や側用人(そばようにん)など将軍の側近も臨席したが、一座以外には評議権はなかった。裁決は多数決によったが、決着がつかないときはそれぞれの意見を書いて老中の裁決にゆだねた。評定にかかる事件は、民事（出入物(でいりもの)）では原告・被告を管轄する奉行が異なる場合であり、刑事（詮議物(せんぎもの)）では重要事件と上級武士が被疑者である場合であった。諮問を受けるのは、各奉行や大名から老中に呈出された仕置伺(しおきうかがい)で、一座は書面審査によって判決を老中に答申した。評定所が作成した記録類に「裁許留(さいきょどめ)」「御仕置例類集(おしおきれいるいしゅう)」「御触書集成(おふれがきしゅうせい)」などがある。

［高木昭作］

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