<論説>末期における鎌倉幕府訴訟制度の実態 : 式目三五条適用裁許―欠席裁判の問題を中心に

Abstract

鎌倉末期における幕府訴訟制度の実態については、職権主義・即決主義が台頭し、和与が盛行するという指摘が行われているが、末期訴訟制度を最も特色付けるものは、むしろ欠席裁判の激増という問題である。この事態は、訴訟当事者の裁判への召喚命令無視という行為の増大を背景とし、幕府がそれに対して、成立後約半世紀にわたって実際の発動を行わなかった御成敗式目三五条の規定を機械的に適用したためであるが、結果的に裁判の半数近くが「欠席裁判」となったのが末期幕府訴訟制度の実態であった。この欠席裁判の問題は、これが最も激しく見られた九州、屈折した形をとった畿内・西国、辺縁部を中心にして鎌倉周辺では少なかった東国等、それぞれ地域的な個性をもって展開し、各地域の社会矛盾や権力関係などがそこに反映されていた。しかし同時に、共通の本質に支配されており、この点の解明が全国一斉に鎌倉幕府打倒に結集した原因を探る鍵である。

In regard to the realities of the legal proceedings in the late Kamakura Shogunate, it has been pointed out that there was a rise in legal authority and summary trials, and that reconcilation was frequently brought about. However, the thing which most characterized the legal proceedings of this period was the rapid increase in the incidence of judgement by default. This occurred because of an increase in the rejection of court summons by litigants. In order to cope with this problem, the Shogunate applied Article Thirty-Five of the Goseibai Shikimoku which had not been actively utilized since its enactment a half a century earlier. As a result, during the late Kamakura Shogunate, almost half of the trials were "judgement by default ". This problem occurred with regional differences and reflected the social contradictions and relationships of power in each area. Judgements by default occurred most often in Kyushu. In Kyoto and its neighboring districts and in West Japan, it occurred in distorted form. In eastern Japan it happened frequently in the boarder areas but not so often near Kamakura. Nevertheless, the occurence of these "judgement by default" suggests a common dissatisfaction and by investigating this we will be able to discover the reason that powers throughout Japan concentrated to overthrow the Kamakura Syogunate.