Before the court examines a public officer or a person who was a public officer as a witness with regard to any confidential information connected with that person's duties, it must obtain the approval of the relevant supervisory government agency (in the case of a member of the House of Representatives or House of Councillors or a person who held the office, the relevant House; in the case of the Prime Minister or any other Minister of State or a person who held such a position, the Cabinet).
公務員又は公務員であった者を証人として職務上の秘密について尋問する場合には、裁判所は、当該監督官庁（衆議院若しくは参議院の議員又はその職にあった者についてはその院、内閣総理大臣その他の国務大臣又はその職にあった者については内閣）の承認を得なければならない。
A supervisory government agency may not refuse to give the approval referred to in the preceding paragraph, unless giving it would be against the public interest or would be likely to substantially hinder the performance of a public duty.
前項の承認は、公共の利益を害し、又は公務の遂行に著しい支障を生ずるおそれがある場合を除き、拒むことができない。
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