extinctive prescription
「受信料の滞納分が何年にわたってNHKの側が支払わせられるか」という最高裁の裁判が開かれ、家賃と同じ「５年で時効」という判決が出たそうです。
prescriptionは、「処方箋」という意味で記憶している馴染み深い語ですね。語源は「事前に書く」（『英語語源辞典』（研究社））ですね。しかしここはもうひとつの意味，「時効」（『リーダーズ英和辞典』（第３版、研究社））です。extinctiveとセットで「消滅時効」となります（同英和辞典）。(Kawada)
National：Top court says NHK can only go back five years for unpaid subscription fees
The Supreme Court ruled on Sept. 5 that NHK cannot claim unpaid subscription fees from a person if those fees date back more than five years, rejecting the public broadcaster's argument that the network has the right to demand 10 years' worth of payments.
The case focused on the legal concept of "extinctive prescription," in which the holder of a right loses that right after a certain period of inactivity. Under the Civil Code, extinctive prescription for general debts, such as loans between individuals, is set at 10 years, whereas for housing rent and other claims that are paid regularly, short-term extinctive prescription applies, reducing the period to five years.
http://sp.mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20140906p2a00m0na006000c.html
