Legal interpretation

Significado e interpretación jurídica

by Ernesto Riffo Elgueta

“Signorolus de Homodeis and the Medieval Interpretation of Statutory Law”, Rivista Internazionale di Diritto Commune 6 (1995) 217-232

by Wolfgang P. Mueller

The Effect of Leaked Information on the Rules of International Law

by William Worster

International law, and international lawyers generally, tend to take a somewhat conservative approach to the formation... more International law, and international lawyers generally, tend to take a somewhat conservative approach to the formation of rules, so when confronted with the growing availability of leaked information naturally we might be cautious in considering how the leaks are affecting international law. This paper will assess the growing influence of leaked information on the rules of international law and argue in favor of their use. This paper is not especially focused on WikiLeaks, though it is representative of the phenomenon and is the source used primarily for this paper. Due to the presence of it and similar actors, the availability of leaked information is growing and leaked information is now becoming significant in international affairs.

This paper will walk through the various sources of law, generally following the structure of article 38(1) of the Statute of the International Court of Justice, although with some additions as may be relevant, and examine each source to see whether and how leaked information might contribute. As threshold matters, ex turpi causa non oritur actio, “the fruit of the poisonous tree”, and similar principles are examined, however, those principles can be dismissed for a number of reasons.

The first source of law to be discussed is treaties for two purposes. Firstly, the paper assesses the definition of a treaty and considers whether leaked information might amount to a secret treaty, and secondly, it assesses the evidentiary function of leaked information in interpreting treaties.

After treaties, the paper considers the ways in which leaked information might contribute to the formation of customary international law, primarily the ways in which leaked information might evidence practice and opinio juris.

Lastly, the author also considers the potential for leaked information to contain binding unilateral statements and the role that leaked information might play in the law-making function of international organizations.

Following the examination of the sources of law, the paper takes a brief detour to examine the ways in which leaked information might impact the international legal personality some entities enjoy. Leaked information might have a bearing on both the law to be applied and the facts to be established. In particular, the Holy See and Kosovo will be discussed.

We appear to be moving into an era of increased access and transparency of information, and inability to prevent the viral spread of leaks. Law, and international law in particular, must take cognizance of this change and absorb it. It is possible, although the growth in leaked information might have a greater effect in the future. It might even inspire changes in some of the more fundamental notions that underpin the law.

Consequences of Schengen Visa Liberalisation for the Citizens of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova

by Sergo Mananashvili

Co-authored with Agnieszka Weinar, Oleg Korneev and Shushanik Makaryan. MPC Research Report 2012/01.

Zmiana normatywna art. 98. Kodeksu wykroczeń („inne osoby”). Rzecz o regułach wykładni tekstu ustawy karnej

by Mikolaj Malecki

„Czasopismo Prawa Karnego i Nauk Penalnych” 2011, nr 3, s. s. 153–168

1. Nowelizacja art. 98 k.w. ustawą z dnia 22 lipca 2010 roku (Dz. U. Nr 152, poz. 1018) w zakresie znamienia „inne... more 1. Nowelizacja art. 98 k.w. ustawą z dnia 22 lipca 2010 roku (Dz. U. Nr 152, poz. 1018) w zakresie znamienia „inne osoby” rozszerzyła zakres penalizacji w stosunku do poprzednio obowiązującego stanu prawnego. Przed wejściem w życie nowelizacji nie były karalne zachowania polegające na prowadzeniu pojazdu poza drogą publiczną i niezachowaniu należytej ostrożności, wskutek czego zagrożono bezpieczeństwu jednej osoby różnej od sprawcy wykroczenia.

2. Termin „inne osoby” w treści art. 98 k.w. w stanie prawnym sprzed nowelizacji należało rozumieć jako „co najmniej dwie osoby różne od sprawcy wykroczenia”.

3. W celu wyznaczenia desygnatów pojęcia w liczbie mnogiej w określonym przypadku interpretacyjnym należy badać ustaloną klasę pojęć – identycznych lub semantycznie pokrewnych – w stosunku do terminu występującego w analizowanej jednostce redakcyjnej ustawy. Najpierw wspomniana klasa pojęć jest wyznaczana w oparciu o reguły językowe, a następnie może być dookreślana przez odwołanie się do reguł wykładni systemowej i funkcjonalnej, wskazujących na: gałąź prawa, do jakiej należy przepis zawierający analizowany termin; charakter przepisu (materialno-prawny czy procesowy); cel regulacji; specyfikę danego typu czynu zabronionego (np. rodzaj znamienia, dobro prawne). Wyprowadzone w ten sposób wnioski są ważne jedynie dla danej kategorii pojęć.

Le sens des lois

by Benoit Frydman

Histoire de l'interprétation et de la raison juridique, Paris-Bruxelles, LGDJ-Bruylant, 2005; 2ème éd. 2007; 3ème éd. 2011

This book provides a history of legal thinking and reasoning. It focuses on the tools, methods and procedures to... more This book provides a history of legal thinking and reasoning. It focuses on the tools, methods and procedures to interpret legal texts. The book analyses 10 consecutive models : rhetorical; biblical-talmudic; patristic; scholastic; geometrical; philological-historical; sociological; economical; normativist-positivist and pragmatic (700 pages).

The Third Theory of Legal Objectivity

by Aldo Schiavello

The question of the objectivity of law rotates around the determination of the status of the norms that constitute the... more The question of the objectivity of law rotates around the determination of the status of the norms that constitute the major premise of the practical syllogism representing the formal scheme of the justification of judicial decisions. Those who deny the objectivity of law believe that the existence and meaning of legal norms depend on the opinion of judges and jurists considered individually. The different versions of the objectivity of law reject this sceptical conclusion. The strongest versions of objectivity accepted by the different doctrines of natural law presuppose metaphysical realism and rule out the idea that what seems correct to someone can determine what is effectively correct; the weakest versions, upheld by legal positivism, believe – at least in relation to the existence of legal social practice – that what seems correct to most members of a community determines what is effectively correct. Does a space exist between these two versions of objectivity? In this essay arguments are put forward in support of a negative answer.

An Unprecedented Debate: The Real Foundations of the Arguments in Favor of and Against the Citation of Foreign Precedents

by Daniel Guenther

Columbia Undergraduate Law Review (Winter 2010)

Bosnia-Herzegovina as the Embassy of the High Representative: A Republican Critique

by Drazen Pehar

a brief talk from a March 2011 Conference in Banja Luka; a Croatian version of the paper published and distributed widely at the webportals in Bosnia-Herzegovina. A Croatian version forthcoming in 'Politicke analize' (Zagreb, May/June issue).

Victimes ou criminels? Transformation des modes d'interprétation de la sur-représentation des Aborigènes dans le système de justice pénal

by Bastien Bosa

Published in 'Histoire et Mesure', 2007

En 1957, l’Aboriginal Welfare Board (l’organisation qui avait la charge des populations aborigènes de l’État des New... more En 1957, l’Aboriginal Welfare Board (l’organisation qui avait la charge des populations aborigènes de l’État des New South Wales) commençait à s’interroger sur le bien-fondé des « mesures législatives restrictives et discriminatoires à l’encontre des Aborigènes », dont il pensait qu’elles pouvaient entrer en contradiction avec sa politique officielle d’assimilation. Il décida donc d’organiser un sondage afin d’obtenir l’opinion de tous ceux qui étaient « étroitement associés au bien-être et à la conduite des Aborigènes », et en particulier la police. Le Board ne demanda pas simplement aux policiers de donner leur avis sur la question, mais aussi de fournir quelques chiffres au sujet de la population aborigène dans leur secteur d’intervention. L’article propose un examen critique de ces statistiques et de ce qu’elles nous apprennent des relations entre les Aborigènes et la police, avant de montrer comment, peu à peu, de nouvelles interprétations des données en question ont émergé dans le débat public, en particulier à travers la montée des revendications des Aborigènes contre les discriminations.

Does Consensus Matter? Legitimacy of European Consensus in the Case Law of the European Court of Human Rights

by Kanstantsin Dzehtsiarou

Public Law, July 2011 Available at Westlaw

European Consensus and Evolutive Interpretation of the ECHR

by Kanstantsin Dzehtsiarou

German Law Journal German Law Journal, Vol. 12, pp. 1730-1745, 2011

It is widely accepted that evolutive interpretation is necessary to keep European human rights effective and up to... more It is widely accepted that evolutive interpretation is necessary to keep European human rights effective and up to date. This concept supposes that the rules the European Court of Human Rights applies can be changed over time. These changes, no matter how necessary they are, undermine the procedural legitimacy of the judgments. European consensus is a tool of interpretation which adds predictability and consistency into the case law. European consensus, while limiting the Court’s ability to change, is not absolute and can be disregarded by the Court if there are reasons for doing so.
This paper illustrates two extreme points of view on the legitimacy of evolutive interpretation and European consensus. Lord Hoffmann argues that the European Court is lacking legitimacy to interpret dynamically the norms of the Convention up to the inclusion of new rights; the Court should only reflect what the Contracting Parties consented to. Judge Zupančič of the European Court of Human Rights maintains that European consensus and the State’s consent are much less relevant for the decision making process in the Court. The paper aims to find a middle ground between these two extremes. It is argued that European consensus has a legitimising potential to support contested legitimacy of evolutive interpretation.

La "saga Metock", ou des inconvénients du pragmatisme helvétique dans la gestion des rapports entre droit européen, droit bilatéral et droit interne (2011)

by Francesco Maiani

Revue de droit suisse, 2011, I, 27

«Sélective» et «statique» en théorie, la reprise de l’acquis de l’Union européenne dans le cadre de la voie bilatérale... more «Sélective» et «statique» en théorie, la reprise de l’acquis de l’Union européenne dans le cadre de la voie bilatérale n’en donne pas moins lieu à une dynamique évolutive et expansive, exigeant un travail constant de coordination entre le droit européen, le droit bilatéral et le droit interne. Appelés à gérer ce travail de coordination, le juge et le législateur fédéraux ont traditionnellement opté pour un suivi «au cas par cas» de l’acquis, propre à préserver leur marge de manoeuvre ou à tout le moins l’image qu’il est politiquement convenable d’en donner. Cette approche pragmatique est toutefois inapte à maîtriser les dynamiques de la voie bilatérale. Elle est par ailleurs dommageable pour la cohérence de l’ordre juridique suisse tout comme pour sa lisibilité et prévisibilité, comportant de surcroît un risque accru de courts-circuits entre droit et politique. Les vicissitudes du régime du regroupement familial en Suisse, sous l’impulsion de la jurisprudence de la Cour de justice de l’Union européenne et notamment de l’arrêt Metock de 2007, fournissent une illustration exemplaire de ces propos. En retraçant les étapes de cette saga politico-judiciaire, le présent article met en exergue les choix stratégiques effectués par les autorités fédérales et, surtout, l’évolution de leur approche à l’égard du «suivi» du droit européen – évolution dont l’ATF 136 II 5, qui énonce la «nouvelle doctrine» du Tribunal fédéral en la matière, représente à ce jour l’aboutissement

Legal Europeanization as Legal Transformation: Some Insights from Swiss “Outer Europe” (2008)

by Francesco Maiani

EUI Working Papers, Max Weber Paper 2008/32

The “Europeanization” of non-EU countries’ laws is predominantly seen as an “export” of the EU acquis, especially in... more The “Europeanization” of non-EU countries’ laws is predominantly seen as an “export” of the EU acquis, especially in the case of so-called “quasi-member” states such as Switzerland. Based on an examination of the Swiss experience, this paper highlights the flaws of this conceptualization: the Europeanization of Swiss Law is a highly differentiated phenomenon, encompassing several forms of approximation to EU Law. All of these forms fall short of an “export” of norms, and result in the creation of something new: a “Europeanized law” that is similar to, but qualitatively different from, EU Law. Another drawback of the “export” metaphor is the emphasis it places on the isomorphism of positive legislation. Europeanization goes deeper than that. As shown in this paper, it is a process of transformation involving not only positive law, but also legal thinking. The Swiss case demonstrates how significant such deeper transformations can be: the Europeanization of positive law has induced an alteration of the traditional canon of legal interpretation. It also demonstrates how problematic such transformations can be: the above-mentioned alteration has not given rise to a new and universally accepted canon of interpretation. This reflects the tension between the need for clear “rules of reference” for EU legal materials – which are required in order to restore coherence and predictability to an extensively Europeanized legal system – and the reluctance to give a legal value to foreign legal materials – which is rooted in a traditional understanding of the concept of “law”. Such tension, in turn, shows what deep and difficult transformations are required in order to establish a viable model of legal integration outside supranational structures.

Uṣūl al-fiqh im jüdischen Kalām des 10. und 11. Jahrhunderts: Ein Überblick

by Gregor Schwarb أغريغور شوارب גריגור שוורב

published in:
A. Kuyt and G. Necker (eds.), Orient als Grenzbereich? Rabbinisches und ausserrabbinisches Judentum, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2007, pp. 77–104.
http://www.harrassowitz-verlag.de/title_1910.ahtml

The article offers a preliminary survey of the reception of uṣūl al-fiqh in Jewish Kalām The article offers a preliminary survey of the reception of uṣūl al-fiqh in Jewish Kalām

The First Constitution: Rethinking the Origins of Rule of Law and Separation of Powers in Light of Deuteronomy

by Bernard M. Levinson

Cardozo Law Review 27:4 (2006): 1853–1888.

This article demonstrates the overlooked contribution of the ancient Near East to the development of constitutional... more This article demonstrates the overlooked contribution of the ancient Near East to the development of constitutional law. The legal corpus of Deuteronomy provides a utopian model for the organization of the state, one that enshrines separation of powers and their systematic subordination to a public legal text—the “Torah”—that delineates their jurisdiction while also ensuring their autonomy. This legislation establishes an independent judiciary while bringing even the monarch under the full authority of the law. Deuteronomy’s implicit model for a political constitution is unprecedented in legal history. Two of its cornerstones are fundamental to the modern idea of constitutional government: (1) the clear division of political powers into separate spheres of authority; and (2) the subordination of each branch to the authority of the law. This legislation was so utopian in its own time that it seems never to have been implemented; instead, idealism rapidly yielded to political pragmatism. Nonetheless, Deuteronomy’s draft constitution provides an important corrective to standard accounts of constitutional legal history.

Keywords:
Constitutional thought; rule of law; separation of powers; Deut 16:18-18:22; Laws of public officials; Law of the king; Deut 17:14-20; Ämtergesetze; Verfassungstheorie; Torah monarchy; Sophocles Antigone law; Herodotus Demaratus; Greek kingship; Mishnah King; mishnah Aboth 1:1; American constitution; Josephus πολιτεία [politeia]; origin of judicial system; Hammurabi; founding myth; independent judiciary.

Neil MacCormick's Legal Positivism

by Vittorio Villa

in "Law as an Institutional Normative Order", ed. by M. Del Mar and N. Bankowski, Ashgate, Farnham, 2009, pp. 45-64.

The Text through Time

by Jack Tsen-Ta Lee

(2010) 31(3) Statute Law Review 217-237

The text of a written constitution or bill of rights is prone to ‘drift’ or ‘slippage’ in the meanings of terms. Even... more The text of a written constitution or bill of rights is prone to ‘drift’ or ‘slippage’ in the meanings of terms. Even if such meanings have not altered over time, because of changes in attitudes and values there may be disagreement with the text’s framers as to the scenarios that are covered or not covered by terms. This article submits that the distinction between the connotation and denotation of a term that has been applied in Australian jurisprudence is useful for determining the meaning of the text through time. The connotation of a term is the generally unchanging bundle of attributes that is central to the term’s meaning. A term’s connotation determines the scope of its denotation – the collection of things or scenarios to which the term refers. The denotation will be wider (that is, the term’s essential meaning will apply to more things or scenarios) when the term expresses abstract concepts. Unlike connotation, denotation can expand or shrink over time.