Translation guide
A lawsuit filed by one or a few people on behalf of a larger group with similar claims.
Referring to the legal procedure where a group collectively sues a defendant.
Standard term for a class action lawsuit in Japanese legal contexts.
A class action was filed against that company.
Refers to a representative action, often used in shareholder derivative suits, but can overlap with class actions in some contexts.
集団訴訟 is the standard Japanese legal term and is widely understood. クラスアクション is a direct loanword and may be used in international contexts, but it is less natural in domestic legal discussions.
Loanword from English, used in some legal or news contexts, but less common than 集団訴訟.
Class actions are often used in the United States.
A shareholder derivative suit is brought against company officers.
Under Japanese law, the class action system is limited.
When explaining the concept to a Japanese speaker unfamiliar with the term, you can describe it as 「多くの人が同じ被害を受けた場合に、代表者がまとめて裁判を起こすこと」 (a lawsuit where representatives sue collectively when many people suffer the same harm).