The Function of Judicial Practice Concerning the Reform of the Japanese Civil Code (Example of “Contract for Work”)

Abstract

This paper examines the role of judicial jurisdiction in law-making process in statute countries. The analysis focused on the reformed Japanese Civil Code, which entered into force on 1 April 2020, and more specifically on the conflict between the reformed Civil Code and the precedents of previous legal status. The purpose of the paper was to emphasize that it is extremely important to consider the relationship between new rules and previous precedents. By using the reformed rules of “contract for work” in the Japanese Civil Code reform, this article analyzes and explains the meaning of precedent in law-making process.