Japan · Legislation
Legislation and primary sources
Where to find the authoritative text of the law in Japan, and how to confirm it is still in force.
Sources of law, ranked
- Constitution
- Supreme law; Article 98 voids conflicting acts.
- Six Codes (Roppō)
- Constitution, Civil, Commercial, Criminal, Civil Procedure, Criminal Procedure.
- Statutes of the Diet
- Hōritsu enacted by the National Diet.
- Cabinet and ministerial orders
- Seirei and shōrei implementing statute.
- Local ordinances
- Jōrei of prefectures and municipalities.
The legislative process
Most bills are Cabinet-sponsored, drafted by ministries and reviewed by the Cabinet Legislation Bureau, then passed by both houses; the lower house can override the upper by a two-thirds majority.
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