次の各号に掲げる行為の効力が生じた日の六箇月(これを下回る期間を定款で定めた場合にあっては、その期間)前から当該日まで引き続き株式会社の株主であった者(第百八十九条第二項の定款の定めによりその権利を行使することができない単元未満株主であった者を除く。以下この条において「旧株主」という。)は、当該株式会社の株主でなくなった場合であっても、当該各号に定めるときは、当該株式会社(第二号に定める場合にあっては、同号の吸収合併後存続する株式会社。以下この節において「株式交換等完全子会社」という。)に対し、書面その他の法務省令で定める方法により、責任追及等の訴え(次の各号に掲げる行為の効力が生じた時までにその原因となった事実が生じた責任又は義務に係るものに限る。以下この条において同じ。)の提起を請求することができる。ただし、責任追及等の訴えが当該旧株主若しくは第三者の不正な利益を図り又は当該株式交換等完全子会社若しくは次の各号の完全親会社(特定の株式会社の発行済株式の全部を有する株式会社その他これと同等のものとして法務省令で定める株式会社をいう。以下この節において同じ。)に損害を加えることを目的とする場合は、この限りでない。
A person who had been a shareholder of a stock company continuously for six months or more (or, if a shorter period is prescribed in the articles of incorporation, the period or more) before the day when the acts set forth in the following items became effective until that day (excluding a holder of shares of less than one unit who was unable to exercise rights pursuant to the provisions of the articles of incorporation set forth in Article 189, paragraph (2); hereinafter referred to as "former shareholder" in this Article) may demand the stock company (in the case prescribed in item (ii), a stock company surviving after the absorption-type merger set forth in the same item; hereinafter referred to as "wholly owned subsidiary company resulting from the share exchange, etc." in this Section), in writing or by any other method prescribed by Ministry of Justice Order, to file an action to enforce liability (limited to those related to liabilities or obligations for which the facts causing them occurred by the time when the acts set forth in the following items became effective; hereinafter the same applies in this Article) in the cases specified in those items even if the person is no longer a shareholder of the stock company; provided, however, that this does not apply if the purpose of the action to enforce liability is to seek unlawful benefits of the former shareholder or a third party or to inflict damages on the wholly owned subsidiary company resulting from the share exchange, etc. or wholly owning parent company set forth in the following items (meaning a stock company having all of the issued shares of a specific stock company or other stock companies specified by Ministry of Justice Order as equivalent thereto; hereinafter the same applies in this Section):