일본에서 2008년 신공익법인제도가 시행되기 전까지만 해도 일본과 우리는 민법과 특별법상 유사한 비영리법인제도를 가지고 있었다. 민법상의 비영리공익법인이 되기 위해서는 비영리이면서 공익성이라는 목적을 갖추었는지에 대해 주무관청의 ‘허가’를 받아야 한다. 따라서 이러한 기존의 법인제도 하에서는 사회에서 공익활동을 수행하고 있는 많은 비영리민간단체들이 ‘법인격’을 부여받을 수 있는 유일한 길은 민법상 사단법인이나 재단법인을 설립하는 것인데, 그 설립요건이 매우 엄격하였다. 그런데 일본에서는 1995년 한신․아와지 대지진을 계기로 NPO활동의 중요성이 인식됨으로써 법적․제도적 정비에 박차를 가하게 된다. 그 성과로 1998년에 NPO법이, 2006년에 공익법인제도를 근본적으로 개혁하는 법률이 제정되었다. 이로써 ‘법인격’ 없이 활동해 오던 많은 시민단체들이 ‘법인격’을 부여받게 되었으며, 행정관청에 의한 ‘허가주의’가 폐지됨으로써 ‘등록’만으로도 법인 설립이 가능하게 되었다. 이러한 변화는 헌법상 결사의 자유에 관한 논의를 바탕으로 이루어진 것은 아니지만, 결사의 자유를 실질적으로 보장하는 입법으로서 중요한 의의를 갖는다 할 것이다. 본 연구에서는 일본에서의 비영리법인제도의 근본적인 개혁을 계기로, 헌법상 결사의 자유의 의미를 재검토하고, 결사의 자유를 실효적으로 보장하는 차원에서 어떠한 형태로 비영리법인제도가 정비되어야 하는지를 일본에서의 논의를 중심으로 검토하였다. 이를 통해 헌법학에서 그동안 논의가 부족했던 ‘결사의 자유’에 대한 논의를 환기하고, 나아가 시대적 변화에 따른 결사의 자유 보장에 부합한 비영리법인제도의 재구축의 필요성과 그 방향성을 모색하고자 하였다.

Before a new public corporation system was started in Japan in 2008, Korea and Japan had held a similar non-profit organization(NPO) system under civil and special laws. In order to become a non-profit public corporation under civil law, it was necessary to obtain 'permission' from the competent authority, and to prove the purpose of non-profitability and public interest. Therefore, under this corporation system, the only way for obtaining 'legal entity' was to establish an incorporated association or foundation under civil law, but the requirements for establishing were very strict. In Japan, the importance of NPO activities was recognized because of the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995, and from this occasion legal and institutional development of public corporation system were accelerated. As a result, NPO law was enacted in 1998, and a law essentially reforming the public corporation system was enacted in 2006. As the new law has abolished the principle of permission and allowed to establish a corporation by 'registration', many civic organizations operating without 'legal entity' have obtained it. Although this change is not made based on the discussion of Freedom of Association under the Constitution, it is significant as it seems to virtually guarantee Freedom of Association through legislation. The purpose of this study is to examine what constitutionally-guaranteed 'Freedom of Association' means, whether the 'principle of permission' under civil law restricts Freedom of Association guaranteed by the Constitution and if any restrictions exist how the system of non-profit organization should be overhauled and how effectively Freedom of Association should be guaranteed. All these will be scrutinized based on the discussions held in Japan. For achieving these purposes, this study aims to facilitate the discussion of 'Freedom of Association' that constitutional law has long ignored, and moreover it is also important to explore the necessity and direction of the reconstruction of non-profit organization system in accordance with the changing times and the guarantee of Freedom of Association.

Before a new public corporation system was started in Japan in 2008, Korea and Japan had held a similar non-profit organization(NPO) system under civil and special laws. In order to become a non-profit public corporation under civil law, it was necessary to obtain 'permission' from the competent authority, and to prove the purpose of non-profitability and public interest. Therefore, under this corporation system, the only way for obtaining 'legal entity' was to establish an incorporated association or foundation under civil law, but the requirements for establishing were very strict. In Japan, the importance of NPO activities was recognized because of the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995, and from this occasion legal and institutional development of public corporation system were accelerated. As a result, NPO law was enacted in 1998, and a law essentially reforming the public corporation system was enacted in 2006. As the new law has abolished the principle of permission and allowed to establish a corporation by 'registration', many civic organizations operating without 'legal entity' have obtained it. Although this change is not made based on the discussion of Freedom of Association under the Constitution, it is significant as it seems to virtually guarantee Freedom of Association through legislation. The purpose of this study is to examine what constitutionally-guaranteed 'Freedom of Association' means, whether the 'principle of permission' under civil law restricts Freedom of Association guaranteed by the Constitution and if any restrictions exist how the system of non-profit organization should be overhauled and how effectively Freedom of Association should be guaranteed. All these will be scrutinized based on the discussions held in Japan. For achieving these purposes, this study aims to facilitate the discussion of 'Freedom of Association' that constitutional law has long ignored, and moreover it is also important to explore the necessity and direction of the reconstruction of non-profit organization system in accordance with the changing times and the guarantee of Freedom of Association.

Freedom of Association. legal entity, NPO Law, Civic organizations, New public interest legal entity