Research on the Legal Systems concerning Child Custody Disputes

在本研究项目中，研究者对解决和预防父母之间的子女监护权纠纷的法律的制度进行了比较研究，特别是对儿童绑架案件进行了研究。儿童监护权纠纷不仅在日本，而且在许多其他国家都成为家庭法领域最严重的问题之一。特别是，父母诱拐儿童，有时被称为"法律的绑架”，在国际上引起了特别的关注，调查员收集并分析了上述比较研究的有关材料。主要有以下几个方面：（1）日本近年来的判例，严格限制了人身保护法在儿童监护权纠纷中的适用;（2）1980年《国际儿童拐骗事件的民事问题海牙公约》。研究者得出的结论是，海牙《儿童拐骗公约》的基本结构不仅在国际上，在国内也是如此。《公约》旨在使被绑架儿童迅速和系统地返回其被带走的地方，将决定谁应拥有儿童监护权（父母权利）的问题与解决绑架问题分开处理。《公约》的这一基本结构一直运作良好。虽然日本尚未批准该公约，但我们可以从该公约及其缔约国的执行中学到很多东西。

In this research project, the investigator conducted a comparative study on the legal systems for resolving and preventing the child custody disputes between parents, with special emphasis on the child abduction cases.Child custody disputes are becoming one of the most serious problems in the field of family law not only in Japan but also in many other countries. In particular, the child abduction by parents, which is sometimes called legal kidnapping," has attracted special attention in international scenes.The investigator collected and analyzed relevant materials for the above-mentioned comparative study. The most important ones are on the following topics :(1) recent Japanese jurisprudence, which strictly limits the use ol Habeas Corpus Act for the child custody disputes; and(2) Hague Convention of 1980 on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.Through the analysis, the investigator came to the conclusion that the basic structure of the Hague Child Abduction Convention should be useful and efficient to resolve and prevent the child abduction not only on the international level but also in domestic situations. The Convention, aiming at prompt and systematic return of the abducted children to the place from which the child was taken away, separates the problem of deciding who should have the child custody (parental rights) from the problem of abduction resolution. This basis structure of the Convention has been functioning very well. Although Japan has not yet ratified the Convention, we could learn a lot from this Convention and its implementations by the contracting States.