法治

• 読み: ほうち
• ローマ字: hōchi
• 漢字の分解: 法 (hō/nori) — law, rule; 治 (chi/ji) — govern, rule, cure
• 発音: /hoː.tɕi/

意味

Rule of law; government by law. The principle that all individuals, institutions, and government entities are accountable to laws that are publicly enacted and equally enforced.

Typically appears in the compound 法治国家 (hōchi kokka, a state governed by the rule of law) or 法治主義 (hōchi shugi, the principle of rule of law). Contrasted with 人治 (jinchi, rule of man/persons), where decisions are made by the whims of rulers rather than established law. The concept underpins modern constitutional democracies and is a cornerstone of international human rights discourse.

例文

1. 法治国家においては、政府の行為も憲法および法律の枠内に収まらなければならない。
2. 法治の原則が形骸化すれば、市民の権利は権力者の恣意的な判断に左右されることになる。
3. 国際社会は法治を尊重する国家との連携を深め、権威主義体制への対抗を強めている。

使い方ガイド

場面: law, politics, constitutional theory, international relations

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

Formed from 法 (hō, law) and 治 (chi, to govern/rule). The term entered modern Japanese legal and political vocabulary during the Meiji era under the influence of German constitutional law (Rechtsstaat), from which the concept of a state bound by law was derived.

文化的背景

時代: Meiji–Contemporary

世代: Adults

社会的背景: General