Command - Command

Generally, it means a compulsory instruction from a superior to a subordinate, but in law it has various uses.

(1) It refers to laws and regulations established by administrative agencies, and is contrasted with laws, which are laws and regulations established by the Diet. Depending on the subject of the order, there are categories such as Cabinet Orders, Ministerial Ordinances, Prefectural Ordinances, Administrative Commission Rules, Agency Rules, Governor and Mayor Rules, etc., and in terms of content, they are divided into legal orders, which are rules concerning the rights and obligations of citizens, and administrative rules, which are rules that do not affect the rights and obligations of citizens. Legal orders are further divided into executive orders and delegated orders.

(2) It refers to orders issued by administrative agencies to citizens based on laws and regulations, such as the removal of illegal buildings and the prohibition of traffic on roads.

(3) Work-related instructions, or work orders, given by a superior to a subordinate.

(4) A form of trial in which an individual judge makes a decision, as opposed to a judgment or decision that should be made by a panel. However, many orders, such as a seizure order, have the nature of a decision despite being called an order.

Regarding (1), under the current law, which makes the Diet the sole legislative body (Article 41 of the Constitution), orders are subordinate to laws, and only delegated orders that stipulate matters delegated by law and executive orders that stipulate detailed matters for the execution of laws are permitted. Orders that exceed the scope of the delegation of law or the scope of specific individual provisions for execution are invalid. Except in cases where there is delegation of law, penalties cannot be established, rights cannot be restricted, and obligations cannot be imposed. Furthermore, independent orders and emergency orders that could be issued without relation to laws were permitted under the Meiji Constitution, but are denied under the current Constitution.

The types of orders issued by national administrative agencies include, as mentioned above, Cabinet Orders issued by the Cabinet, Cabinet Office Ordinances (Cabinet Office Ordinances, former Prime Minister's Office Ordinances) issued by the Prime Minister, and Ministerial Ordinances issued by each ministry and minister, as well as rules of external bureaus such as the Fair Trade Commission Rules and the National Public Safety Commission Rules issued by the heads of each external bureau, as well as rules of the Board of Audit and the National Personnel Authority.

[Yasuhito Abe]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

一般には上位の者から下位の者に対する強制的な指図(さしず)を意味するが、法律上は種々の用法がある。

(1)行政機関の定立する法規をいい、議会の定立する法規たる法律と対比される。命令の主体によって、政令、省令、府令、行政委員会規則、庁規則、知事・市町村長規則などの別があり、内容上から国民の権利義務に関する定めである法規命令と、国民の権利義務に影響しない定めである行政規則に区別される。法規命令はさらに執行命令と委任命令に区別される。

(2)行政庁が法令に基づいて国民に対してなす下命行為をいう。たとえば、違法建築物の除却、道路の通行禁止などがこれである。

(3)上司の部下に対する職務上の指図すなわち職務命令をいう。

(4)裁判の一形式で、合議体でなすべき裁判である判決・決定に対し、個々の裁判官のする裁判をいう。ただし、差押え命令など命令という名称を有しながら決定の性質をもつものが多い。

　(1)に関し、国会を唯一の立法機関（憲法41条）とする現行法の下では、命令は法律より劣位にあり、しかも、法律により委任された事項を定める委任命令、法律を執行するために細目的事項を定める執行命令だけが認められる。法律の委任の範囲や執行のための具体的個別的定めの範囲を越える命令は無効である。法律の委任がある場合のほかは罰則を設けること、権利を制限し、義務を賦課することはできない。なお、法律と無関係に発しうる独立命令と緊急命令は明治憲法では認められていたが、現憲法下では否定されている。

　国の行政機関が定める命令の種類としては、前述したように内閣の発する政令、内閣総理大臣の発する府令（内閣府令、旧総理府令）、各省大臣の発する省令のほか、各外局の長が発する公正取引委員会規則、国家公安委員会規則などの外局規則、および会計検査院規則・人事院規則などがある。

［阿部泰隆］

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