The Supreme Court, as the final appellate instance, may accept a case that is deemed to involve important matters relating to the interpretation of laws and regulations pursuant to the Rules of Court, only before the judgment on the case has become final and binding, even if it is not a case in which a final appeal may be filed pursuant to the preceding Article.
最高裁判所は、前条の規定により上告をすることができる場合以外の場合であつても、法令の解釈に関する重要な事項を含むものと認められる事件については、その判決確定前に限り、裁判所の規則の定めるところにより、自ら上告審としてその事件を受理することができる。
Supreme Court
最高裁判所
The highest court, and the court of last resort on whether any law, order, regulation or official act conforms to the Constitution (Article 76, paragraph (1), and Article 81). That power is what makes the Constitution enforceable: there is no penalty attached to breaching it, and instead a conflicting rule is held to have no legal force (Article 98, paragraph (1)). Its judges are reviewed by the people at the first general election after appointment, and again after ten further years (Article 79, paragraph (2)).
Written by AI using Constitution, Arts. 76, 79, 81, 98 and Wikipedia: Supreme Court of Japan as a reference.