Article 1. When a request is made by either of the Houses of the Diet to appear or to submit papers as witness for deliberation of a bill and others or for investigation concerning national administration, any person must comply with the request except in cases where this Law provides otherwise.
Article 2. When the President of either House or the chairman of a committee thereof or the chairman of a joint examination meeting of both Houses requests testimony of a witness who has appeared, he shall put the said person on oath prior thereto, except in cases where this Law provides otherwise.
Article 3. Oath shall be made by causing a witness to read a written oath and to affix his signature and seal thereto.
The written oath must have a statement to the effect that the witness will swear to tell the truth according to conscience and to conceal or add nothing.
Article 4. A witness may decline to make oath or give testimony or submit papers only in such cases as fall under the provisions of Article 280 (excepting Item 3) and Article 281 (excepting Item 1 and Item 3 of Paragraph 1) of the Code of Civil Procedure.
The provisions of Article 282 of the Code of Civil Procedure shall apply mutatis mutandis to the cases of the preceding paragraph.
Article 5. In case a witness who has appeared is or was a public official (excluding a member of the Diet who is not a State Minister), and the person or the public office concerned makes a statement, regarding a fact which he came to know, to the effect that the matter concerns official secret, either House or a committee thereof or a joint examination meeting of both Houses may not demand of him to give testimony or submit papers, unless a consent of the public office or supervising authorities thereof is obtained.
When the public office or supervising authorities concerned refuses to give the approval referred to in the preceding paragraph, it must give an explanation of the reasons therefore. In case these reasons are acceptable to the House, committee or joint examination meeting the witness may not testify or submit papers.
In case the reason referred to in the preceding paragraph are unacceptable, the House, committee or joint examination meeting concerned may further request a Cabinet statement to the effect that such testimony or presentation of such papers would adversely affect vital national interests. In case such a statement is given, the witness may not testify or submit papers.
Unless a Cabinet statement is not issued within ten days after the request of the preceding paragraph, the witness must testify or submit papers as previously requested.
Article 6. When a witness who made oath in accordance with this Law gives a false statement, he shall be punished with penal servitude for not less than three months nor more than ten years.
When the person who has committed the crime provided for in the preceding paragraph makes a confession prior to the conclusion of the deliberation or investigation of the House, committee or joint examination meeting of both Houses concerned, and prior to discovery of the commission of the crime, his punishment may either be mitigated or remitted.
Article 7. When a person who has been summoned as a witness by either House fails to appear or to submit the required papers without justifiable reasons or, having appeared, refuses to make oath or to give testimony without a justifiable reason, he shall be punished with imprisonment for not more than one year or fine not exceeding ten thousand yen.
The person who has committed the crime of the preceding paragraph may be punished with both imprisonment and fine according to circumstances.
Article 8. Either House or a committee thereof or joint examination meetings of both Houses must charge a witness to the Public Prosecutors Office when he is deemed to have committed a crime under the preceding two Articles. However, when the witness who has given a false testimony makes a confession prior to the conclusion of the deliberation or investigation of the House, committee or joint examination meeting concerned, and prior to discovery of the commission of the crime, the House concerned may decide not to indict the winess. In the case of testimony taken before a joint examination meeting, such decision shall be made by both Houses.