Administrative Complaint Review Act

When an administrative agency renders a disposition for which a request for review or a request for re-investigation, or an appeal based on other laws and regulations (collectively referred to as "appeals" below in this Article) may be filed, the administrative agency must inform the party subject to the disposition in writing that an appeal may be filed for the disposition, and the administrative agency with which an appeal should be filed and the period of time during which an appeal may be filed; provided, however, that this does not apply if the disposition is to be rendered orally.

When an interested person has sought an instruction on whether an appeal may be filed for the disposition, and on the administrative agency with which an appeal should be filed and the period of time during which an appeal may be filed if an appeal may be filed for the disposition, an administrative agency must inform the interested person of the matters.

In the case referred to in the preceding paragraph, when a person has sought the instruction in writing, the administrative agency must inform the person of the matters in writing.

When an administrative agency has failed to give an instruction under the provisions of the preceding Article, a person who is dissatisfied with the disposition may submit a written complaint to the administrative agency.

The provisions of Article 19 (excluding paragraph (5), items (i) and (ii)) apply mutatis mutandis to a written complaint referred to in the preceding paragraph.

When a written complaint has been submitted pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) and the disposition is a disposition for which a request for review may be filed with an administrative agency other than the administrative agency reaching the disposition, the administrative agency reaching the disposition must promptly send the written complaint to that administrative agency. The same applies when the disposition is a disposition for which a request for review may be filed with an administrative agency other than the administrative agency reaching the disposition based on other laws and regulations.

When a written complaint has been sent pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, a request for review or the complaint based on the laws and regulations are deemed to have been filed with the administrative agencyin the first place.

Except for the case referred to in paragraph (3), when a written complaint has been submitted pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1), a request for review or the complaint based on the laws and regulations are deemed to have been filed with the administrative agencyin the first place.

An administrative agency vested with the authority to make an administrative determination or decision, or other dispositions (referred to as "administrative determination, etc." in the following Article) concerning a request for review, request for re-investigation or request for re-examination, or filing of administrative complaints based on other laws and regulations (collectively referred to as "administrative complaints" in this Article and the following Article) must endeavor to provide the matters to be entered in a written complaint and other necessary information for filing a complaint, at the request of a person who intends to file a complaint or has filed a complaint.

An administrative agency vested with the authority to make an administrative determination, etc. for an administrative complaint filed must endeavor to publicize the content of the administrative determination, etc. made by the administrative agency, and the status of processing the administrative complaints at the administrative agency.

Beyond what is provided for in this Act, necessary matters for the enforcement of this Act are provided for by Cabinet Order.

A person who has divulged any secret in violation of the provisions of Article 69, paragraph (8) is to be punished by imprisonment of not more than one year or a fine of not more than 500,000 yen.