The Cabinet Law
法令番号: 法律第5号
公布年月日: 昭和22年1月16日
法令の形式: 法律

審議経過

I hereby give My sanction, with the advice of the Privy Council, to the Cabinet Law, for which the concurrence of the Imperial Diet has been obtained, and cause the same to be promulgated.
Signed:HIROHITO, Seal of the Emperor
This fifteenth day of the first month of the twenty-second year of Showa (January 15, 1947)
Countersigned: Prime Minister and concurrently Minister for Foreign Affairs　YOSHIDA Shigeru
Minister of State　Baron　SHIDEHARA Kijuro
Minister of Justice　KIMURA Tokutaro
Minister for Home Affairs　OMURA Seiichi
Minister of Education　TANAKA Kotaro
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry　WADA Hiroo
Minister of State　SAITO Takao
Minister of Communications　HITOTSUMATSU Sadayoshi
Minister of Commerce and Industry　HOSHIJIMA Niro
Minister of Welfare　KAWAI Yoshinari
Minister of State　UEHARA Etsujiro
Minister of Transportation　HIRATSUKA Tsunejiro
Minister of Finance　ISHIBASHI Tanzan
Minister of State　KANAMORI Tokujiro
Minister of State　ZEN Keinosuke
Law No.5
The Cabinet Law
Article 1.　The Cabinet shall perform functions provided for in Article 73 and other Articles of the Constitution of Japan.
Article 2.　The Cabinet shall be composed of the Prime Minister, who shall be its head, and Ministers of State of not more than sixteen in number.
The Cabinet, in the exercise of executive power, shall be collectively responsible to the Diet.
Article 3.　The Ministers shall divide among themselves administrative affairs and be in charge of their respective shares thereof each as a competent Minister, as provided for by law separately.
The provision of the preceding paragraph does not, however, preclude the existence of Ministers who have no specific share of administrative affairs to manage.
Article 4.　The Cabinet shall perform its functions through Cabinet meetings.
The Prime Minister shall preside over Cabinet meetings.
Each Minister may submit to the Prime Minister any question or matter and ask for a Cabinet meeting thereon.
Article 5.　The Prime Minister, representing the Cabinet, shall submit Cabinet bills, budgets and other proposals to the Diet, and shall report on general national affairs and foreign relations to the Diet.
Article 6.　The Prime Minister shall exercise control and supervision over various administrative branches in accordance with the policies to be decided upon after consultation at Cabinet meetings.
Article 7.　The Prime Minister shall, following consultation at Cabinet meetings, decide on any point of doubt relating to jurisdiction as between the competent Ministers.
Article 8.　The Prime Minister may suspend the official act or order of any administration office, pending action by the Cabinet.
Article 9.　In case the Prime Minister is prevented from discharging his functions or the post of Prime Minister is vacant, the Minister of State designated by him in advance shall perform temporarily the functions of Prime Minister.
Article 10.　In case a competent Minister is prevented from discharging his functions or the post of such Minister is vacant, the Prime Minister, or a Minister of State designated by him, shall perform temporarily the functions of the said competent Minister of State.
Article 11.　No provision imposing obligations or restricting rights can be made in Cabinet orders unless authorized by law.
Article 12.　There shall be set up under the Cabinet a Secretariat and a Legislative Bureau.
The Cabinet Secretariat shall be in charge of preparing the agenda of Cabinet meetings and other miscellaneous affairs of the Cabinet.
The Legislative Bureau shall be in charge of examining and drafting of Cabinet bills and Cabinet orders, as well as examining drafts of treaties, and other legal matters.
Beside the matters mentioned in the preceding two paragraphs, the Cabinet Secretariat and the Legislative Bureau shall assist the work of the Cabinet as provided by for Cabinet order.
The organization of the Cabinet Secretariat and the Legislative Bureau shall be fixed by law separately.
Beside the Secretariat and the Legislative Bureau there shall be set up in the Cabinet necessary offices which shall assist the work of the Cabinet, as provided for by law.
Supplementary Provision:
The present Law shall come into force as from the day of the enforcement of the Consitution of Japan.