協同組合と組合員有限責任制度

わが国の協同組合は,経済的・社会的に非常に大きな役割を果たしている。しかし,法制度面から協同組合制度をみた場合には,いくつかの問題を内包している。本稿では,協同組合における法制度上の重要な問題の1つとして組合員有限責任制度を取り上げ,債権者保護の視点からこれを論じた。協同組合では株式会社と同じように組合員有限責任制度が法定されているが,株式会社に比べて債権者保護の点で十分とはいえない。債権者保護制度は有限責任制度を担保する重要な要素であるので,協同組合において組合員有限責任制度を維持するのであれば,債権者保護の充実を図る必要がある。
Co-operatives are very important as economic and social entities in Japan. However, they have a number problems in aspects of law and the legal side. In this study the author has taken up the limited liability system of co-partners in co-operatives as one major problem, and has descried it in relation to the protection of co-operative's creditors. The Co-operatives Laws have provided a limited liability system which is the same as the Commercial Code of Japan. However, the Co-operatives Laws can not adequately protect the co-operative's creditors in comparison with the Commercial Code of Japan. The protection system of the co-operative's creditors is very important to maintain the limited liability system. If we approve the limited liability system in the co-operatives, we require a more comprehensive protection system of creditors to the co-operatives than the present system.