COURSE: GPR 601 JURISPRUDENCE AND LEGAL THEORY

LLM 2009/2010
PRESENTATION BY GROUP 7 ON SEMINAR SEVEN
MEMBERS:
Mar!" C#$$%& '"(!a ) G62/77*+*/09
,-.-&a S-!/ M(0/("a ) G62/77610 /09
S!-1/-% N2ara%3# A2-ra ) G62/76760/09
G$4-r! N2a"5-2a O"#.- ) G62/76*77/09
'a%6 Ca!/-r%- 'a!/a"4 ) G62/77070/09
Seminar 7: Legal Realism/Critical Legal Theory
Document review and approval
Revision history
This document has been reviewed by
Reviewer Date reviewed
1 Seth Wekesa 17/01/10
2 Martin Collins Kimutai 17/01/10
3 Stephen !aran"o #!iera 17/01/10
$ Kian%i Catherine Katham&i 17/01/10
' (il&ert !amwe!a )moke 17/01/10
This document has been approved by
Su&%e*t matter e+perts
ame Si"nature Date approved
, Seth Wekesa 1-/01/10
7 Martin Collins Kimutai 1-/01/10
- Stephen !aran"o #!iera 1-/01/10
. Kian%i Catherine Katham&i 1-/01/10
10 (il&ert !amwe!a )moke 1-/01/10
i
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
Contents
1 /ntrodu*tion
2 0e"al 1ormalism
3 0e"al realism
$ S*andinavian Realism
' Criti*al 0e"al Studies
, 2i&lio"raph! and Re3eren*es
ii
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
Introduction
)ne *an "et a sense o3 le"al realism 3rom titles o3 some arti*les e4"4 Are Judges Human,
What Courts Do In Fact, Transcendental Nonsense and the Functional Aroach, and
The Judgement Intuiti!e" The Function o# the Hunch$ in Judicial Decision$4
0e"al realism is a la&el "iven to a "roup o3 #meri*an le"al theorists in the 1.20s5 1.30s and
1.$0s who *hallen"ed the ideas o3 le"al reasonin" and ad%udi*ation dominant in %udi*ial and
le"al a*ademi* writin" at the time4
Mu*h o3 the work o3 the le"al realists *an &e 3ound in the work o3 )liver Wendell 6olmes 71-$1
8 1.3'9 who pu&lished the *ommon law in 1--15 :erome 1rank 71--.;1.'795 :ohn Chipman
(ra! 71-3.;1.1'9 and Karl 0lewell!n 71-.3;1.,29 amon"st others4 We shall dis*uss their
*ontri&ution later4 <hese realist atta*ked le"al 3ormalism4 <his theor! ar"ues 3or livin" law4 <he
livin" law is that law whi*h is not imprisoned in the rules o3 law &ut whi*h dominates itsel34 <he
sour*es o3 its knowled"e are a&ove all the modern do*uments and also immediate stud! o3 li3e
itsel35 o3 *ommer*e5 o3 *ustoms and usa"e4 Rules should &e *onstrued in the li"ht o3 purposes
and poli*ies4 Rules should &e *onstrued narrowl! or &roadl! as the *ase ma! &e in *on3ormit!
with purposes and poli*ies involved4
<he le"al realism uses the word =realism> to mean &ein" realisti* or at least &ein" worldl! or
perhaps &ein" *!ni*al4 <hin"s should &e looked at &e!ond the laid down rules5 ideals and
appearan*es &ut rather look at thin"s on what is reall! "oin" on4 <he emer"en*e o3 le"al realism
is "rounded on the atta*k on le"al 3ormalism &! %ud"es4 We shall there3ore *onsider le"al
3ormalism as a &asis to le"al realism4
3
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
Legal ormalism
<he 3orm o3 le"al anal!sis dominant at the time the realists were writin" was *riti*i?ed as
=3ormalisti*> &! whi*h it was meant that the ar"ument was presented as i3 the *on*lusion
3ollowed simpl! 3rom undenia&le premises
1
4 <his was &ased on the notion that most %udi*ial
de*isions should or *ould &e dedu*ted 3rom "eneral *on*epts or "eneral rules with no attention to
real world *onditions or *onse@uen*es5 *riti*s la&elled me*hani*al %urispruden*e
2
4
1ormalist %ud"es o3 the 1-.'81.37 period assumed that law was o&%e*tive5 un*han"in"5 e+trinsi*
to the so*ial *limate5 and5 a&ove all5 di33erent 3rom and superior to politi*s4 <his was however
atta*ked and dissolved &! the realists &! showin" that the a*t o3 %ud"in" was not impersonal or
me*hanisti* &ut rather in3e*ted or a33e*ted &! the %ud"es personal values and other &iases
3
4
A#**ordin" to the 3ormalists5 %ud"es appl! the "overnin" law to the 3a*ts o3 a *ase in a lo"i*al5
me*hani*al5 and deli&erative wa!4 4 4 4 1or the realists Bon the other handC5 the %ud"e Ade*ides &!
3eelin"5 and not &! %ud"mentD &! =hun*hin"> and not &! ratio*inationE and later uses deli&erative
3a*ulties Anot onl! to %usti3! that intuition to himsel35 &ut to make it pass muster4E
$
Ferhaps to
illustrate this state o3 3ormalism is the %ugar Trust case
&
4 <he GS "overnment had *hallen"ed a
monopol! in the manu3a*ture o3 su"ar &ut the *hallen"e was re%e*ted on the &asis that re"ulatin"
manu3a*turin" was outside the Con"ress>s power to re"ulate interstate *ommer*e5 however
o&vious it mi"ht seem that a *ompan!>s *ontrollin" .-H o3 the nation>s su"ar re3inin" *apa*it!
mi"ht have impli*ations 3or interstate *ommer*e in that "ood4 <he *ase was de*ided on the
la&elsD real world *onse@uen*es were treated as irrelevant to the proper le"al anal!sis4
<wo aspe*ts a&out le"al realism are raised hereD Skepti*ism and rule &ound aspe*t4 Skepti*ism in
the sense that even thou"h le"al rule *an work and *an &e a&ided and applied &! the %ud"es &ut
1
Brian Brix on Jurisprudence: Theory and Context, Second Edition published in 1999 by
London Sweet and Maxwell
!
"bid
#
$nderstadin% Le%al rea&is& by Brian ' Ta&anaha a(ailable at
http:))wwwutexasedu)law)*ournals)tlr)assets)archi(e)(+,)issue-)ta&anahapd. and last
accessed on , January !//9
-
Chris 0uthrie, Je1rey J 2achlins3i 4 5ndrew J 6istrich, Blinking on the Bench: How Judges
Decide Cases, 9# C728ELL L 2E9 1, ! :!//,;
<
$nited states (s E C =ni%ht Co 1<> $S 1 :1+9<;
$
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
there are pra*ti*e related5 so*ial and institutional 3a*tors that *onstrain the %ud"es4 Rule &ound
aspe*t that the %ud"es *an render "enerall! predi*ta&le and le"all! &ased de*isions &ut is has to
&e re*o"ni?ed that laws has its own 3laws5 limitations and openness o3 the law whi*h *an
manipulate the law4 <he atta*k on 3ormalism *ould &e divided into two separate *riti*isms
,
I
a9 #r"uin" a"ainst the idea that *ommon law *on*epts and standards were neutral or
o&%e*tive4 <he! ar"ued that *ommon law appli*ation hid moral and poli*! assumptions
that should &e dis*ussed openl!4
&9 #r"uin" a"ainst the idea that "eneral le"al *on*epts or "eneral le"al rules *ould
determine the results in parti*ular *ases4 6olmes put it that "eneral propositions do not
de*ide *on*rete *ases4
)ne theme that runs thou"h the work o3 the various #meri*an le"al realistsD it is the opposition
to le"al 3ormalism in all its mani3estations4
>
Supra .ootnote nu&ber 1
'
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
Legal realism
<he main *hara*teri?ation o3 le"al realism involve the promotion o3 an instrumental view o3 law
as a means to serve so*ial ends5 the pursuit o3 so*ial;s*ienti3i* approa*hes to lawD the attempts o3
re3ormers seekin" to trans3orm le"al edu*ation in order to improve le"al pra*ti*e and %ud"in"D
the initiatives o3 re3ormers seekin" to advan*e a pro"ressive politi*al a"enda in and throu"h lawD
or some amal"amation o3 all 3our
7
4
<his was marked &! a reveren*e 3or the role o3 lo"i* and mathemati*s and a priori reasonin" as
applied to philosoph!5 e*onomi*s and %urispruden*e5 with &ut little ur"e to link these empiri*all!
to the 3a*ts o3 li3e4 Jet empiri*al s*ien*e and te*hnolo"! were in*reasin"l! dominatin" #meri*an
so*iet! and with this development arose an intelle*tual movement in 3avour o3 treatin"
philosoph! and the so*ial s*ien*es5 and even lo"i* itsel35 as empiri*al studies not rooted in
a&stra*t 3ormalism4 /n #meri*a this movement was asso*iated with su*h 3i"ures as William
:ames and Dewe! in philosoph! and lo"i*5 Ke&len in e*onomi*s5 2eard and Ro&&inson in
histori*al studies5 and Mr4 :usti*e 6olmes in %urispruden*e4
-
!"! #liver $endell %olmes
#meri*an le"al realism *an &e *redited to him4 6e propounded that the li3e o3 law has not &een
lo"i*D it has &een an e+perien*e4 0aw should &e viewed 3rom the stan*e o3 the =&ad man>4 <he
prophe*ies o3 what the *ourts will do in 3a*t and nothin" more pretentious are what / mean &! the
law4
6is emphasis on the 3a*t that the li3e o3 law was e+perien*e
.
as well as lo"i*
10
5 and his view o3
law as a predi*tion o3 what the *ourts will de*ide5 stressed the empiri*al and pra"mati* aspe*t o3
,
Supra .oot note nu&ber #
+
"t is .air to say that the re(olt a%ainst .or&alis& was an i&portant part o. %eneral
intellectual cli&ate that .ostered the realists approach per twinnin% =arl Llewellyn and the
realist &o(e&ents :19,#; p9
9
?or discussion o. what @ol&es &eant by experience, see wiener, e(olution and the
.ounders o. pra%&atis& :19-9; chapter +
1/
The co&&on law :1++1; p1
,
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
law
11
4 6e &elieved as he wrote to Williams :ames in 1-,-5 that Alaw as well as an! other series o3
3a*ts in this world ma! &e approa*hed in the interests o3 s*ien*eE4 1or him5 too5 le"al histor! was
to &e studied primaril! as a 3irst step towards a deli&erate re*onsideration o3 the worth o3
*on*erned with what the law is5 not what it ou"ht to &e4
6olmes was atta*kin" the idea that all inherited le"al provisions *ould &e rationall! de3ended and
an! tenden*! to e+pound law5 whi*h did not have a dire*t &earin" to *ourts de*isions4 6e
&elieved that mu*h o3 the law had &een invented in a histori*al *onte+t whi*h had now &een
superseded and the real purposes it served under *han"ed *onditions should &e *onstantl!
reviewed
12
4
6olmes o3 law as5 a predi*tion pla*ed &oth liti"ation and the pro3essional law!ers in the *entre o3
le"al sta"e4 6is emphasis on what *ourts ma! do5 rather than an a&stra*t lo"i*al dedu*tion 3rom
"eneral rules and on the inarti*ulate ideolo"i*al premises whi*h ma! underlie the de*isions o3 the
*ourts5 3o*used as *ensor o3 le"islation and de*idin" what were e33e*tivel! politi*al issues5 the
diver"en*e o3 le"al rules and de*isions in di33erent states and even in the same state or *ourt and
the lar"e e+tent to whi*h #meri*an *ourts were mani3estl! en"a"ed in the pro*ess o3 "eneratin"
new law and the vast *on"eries o3 *ourt involvin" a numerous %udi*iar!5 man! o3 whom were
ele*ted politi*ians and o3 var!in" *ali&er5 all these matters seemed to lend 3or*e to 6olmes
vi"orous insisten*e on a 3resh and more empiri*al attitude to the le"al pro*ess4 6is %ud"ement in
the 0o*hner and #&rams *ases were thou"ht to point the wa! to a more rational and s*ienti3i*
appli*ation o3 the *onstitution to the a*tual so*ial needs o3 a hi"hl! industriali?ed so*iet!4
!"& 'arl Llewellyn
<he 3un*tion approa*h to law adopted &! 0lewell!n is well &rou"ht out &! his treatment o3 law
as an institutions4 #**ordin" to him an institution is an or"ani?ed a*tivit! whi*h is &uilt around a
%o& or a *luster o3 %o&s4 <he institution o3 law in our so*iet! is an e+tremel! *omple+ one5
11
"t is lar%ely to @ol&es e&phasis on public policy that 5&erican le%al thou%ht owes its
pra%&atic casts per 0oldin% :19,9; < social theory and practice 1+#, 1+- @ol&es was
always so&ewhat a&bi(alent in his attitude towards theory
1!
"nternational student edition by J 6 @arris on Le%al Ahilosophies, Second Edition published
in 199, by Butterworths London, Edinbur%h, Bublin
7
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
*onsistin" not onl! o3 a &od! o3 rules or"ani?ed around *on*epts and permeated &! a lar"e
num&er o3 prin*iples4 /n addition there are *ertain ela&orated te*hni@ues su*h as the use o3
pre*edent and over and a&ove all these matters in an ideolo"!5 *onsistin" o3 a &od! o3 3ar
rea*hin" values and ideals whi*h thou"h to a lar"e e+tent impli*it rather than e+pressl! avowed
ma! nevertheless 3orm an immensel! in3luential part o3 the institution o3 law as a whole4
#s institution has %o&s to do5 and the important thin" is to see that this %o&s are well and
e33e*tivel! *arried out4 1un*tionin" institution is somethin" whi*h is rooted in the li3e o3 the
*ommunit! and has to *onstantl! tested &! the needs o3 that *ommunit!D and moreover5 and the
results o3 its workin" have to &e opened to in@uir!4 Mu*h o3 0lewell!n>s has &een *entered upon
what he *alls the wa!s in whi*h various t!pes o3 *ommunit! the Alaw;%o&E are a*tuall! *arried
out4
A0aw;%o&s5E are 0lewell!n>s wa! o3 des*ri&in" the &asi* 3un*tions o3 the law5 whi*h5 3or him5 are
two;3oldI Ato make "ood survival possi&le5E &ut additionall! to @uest 3or %usti*e e33i*ien*! and
ri*her li3e4 <o this end he lists law;%o& as the disposition o3 trou&le; *ases 7his stud! o3 the
Che!enne was 3o*used on this 3un*tion o3 law whi*h 0lewell!n &elieved was *ommon to all
s!stems at whatever sta"e o3 development9 preventive *hannelin" the reorientation o3 *ondu*t
and e+pe*tations to avoid trou&le the provision o3 private law a*tivit! &! individuals and "roups
su*h as the autonom! inherent in a law o3 *ontra*t and the sa! the *onstitutional provision o3
pro*edures to solve *on3li*t mu*h in the manner o3 harts rules o3 ad%udi*ation
13
4 <he 3irst three
%o&s des*ri&e &are &ones law &ut out o3 them ma! emer"e4 <hou"h 0lewell!n "ives no indi*ation
how the additional @uestin" phase o3 the le"al orders 43or 0lewell!n the pro&lem was thus 3indin"
the &est wa! to handle le"al tools to law;%o&s ends4 0lewell!n sees this law %o&s as universal4 6e
puts 3orward his theor! o3 them as "eneral 3rame work 3or the 3un*tional anal!sis o3 law4 What
this overlooks are dimension o3 stru*ture and power whi*h are di33erent in di33erent so*ieties4
<he 3ault is *ommon to 3un*tionalist theories4 <he @uest 3or universalit! leads 0lewell!n to
*on*epts o3 a hi"h level o3 a&stra*tion4 6e also leaves as with numerous @uestions unanswered4
What 3or e+ample is the relationship &etween the di33erent law;%o&sL 6e tells as that the
disposition o3 trou&le ;*ases is the most important 3un*tion o3 law4 /s the *on*lusion lo"i*all!
1#
See the concept o. law :199-; Ap 9> C 9+
-
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
re@uired &! his theor! or is it merel! an in3eren*e drawn 3rom 0lewell!n>s e+perien*e o3
*omple+ %ud"e;oriented *ommon law s!stemL
The common law tradition
/n 0lewell!n>s &ook5 the *ommon law tradition5 he develops an idea o3 *ra3t as applied to the
%uristi* method o3 the *ommon law4 6e points out that the pro3ession in #meri*a is e+*eedin"l!
worried &e*ause it is &elieved that the *ourts have moved awa! 3rom a &asis o3 a sta&le de*ision
makin" in 3avour o3 de*idin" *ases on the &asis o3 their sentiments and then simpl! 3or e+;post
3a*to %usti3i*ation in their %ud"ements4
6e ar"ues that there is a lar"e measure o3 predi*ta&ilit! in *ase law and this he attri&utes to the
"eneral *ra3t o3 de*ision makin" in the *ommon law tradition4 6e sa!s there are *luster 3a*tors
whi*h tend to have stead!in" in3luen*e in produ*in" sta&ilit! in the work o3 the *ourts whi*h
in*lude law 8 *onditioned o33i*ials5 known do*trinal te*hni@ues5 the limitin" o3 issues5 the
adversar! ar"uments o3 *ounsel et*4
!"( )erome ran*
1rank points out that te+t 8 &ook approa*h whi*h treats law as no more than a *olle*tion o3
a&stra*t rules5 is "rossl! misleadin" and that mu*h o3 le"al un*ertaint! is inherent and not due to
m!sti3i*ation4 2ut it must &e said that 3rank adds little to his *ontention &! *urious a33e*tion 3or
an implausi&le appli*ation o3 ps!*ho 8 anal!sis where&! he seeks to attri&ute the sear*h 3or le"al
*ertaint! to the need 3or a 3ather 3i"ure5 the in3alli&le %ud"e5 nor &! his relian*e on the prin*iple
o3 indetermina*! in the modern ph!si*s as showin" the impossi&ilit! o3 attainin" *ertaint! in the
le"al sphere4
6e took a more radi*al positionD that the le"al phrases and *on*epts alone do not "et us to a
de*ision and we are 3oolin" ourselves and the pu&li* i3 we sa! the! do4
6e *riti*i?ed 0lewell!n that he was a rule skepti*4 6e meant that i3 rules are *lear as to
interpretation5 in lower *ourts the! ma! have pre*ious little determinin" e33e*t on de*isions
.
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
&e*ause a tri&unal o3 3a*t5 parti*ularl! a %ur! *an alwa!s 3ind the 3a*ts as it pleases so that a rule
will "ive de*isions it want
1$
4 <he tri&unal will there3ore de*ide &ased on its &elie3s and pre%udi*es
whi*h are pe*uliar to the parties5 the witnesses and the 3a*ts o3 ea*h *ase4 1or 1rank5 until a *ourt
has as*ertained the 3a*ts no law on the su&%e*t in @uestion is !et in e+isten*e4
1rank insist that there were reall! two "roups o3 realistsI the rule ; skepti*s who re"ard le"al
un*ertaint! as residin" prin*ipall! in the ApaperE rules o3 law and who seek to dis*over
uni3ormities in a*tual %udi*ial &ehavior4 )n the other hand 3a*t 8 skepti*s think that the
unpredi*ta&ilit! o3 *ourt de*isions resides primaril! in the elusiveness o3 3a*ts4 <he 3ormer
makes mistakes &! *on*entratin" on appellate *ourts instead o3 attention &ein" drawn to the trial
*ourts
1'
4 <he 3a*ts ma! a33e*t the a*tual de*isions as to the law5 sin*e *ourts o3ten wren*h the law
in order to make it 3it what the! *on*eive to the merits o3 the *ase5 not alwa!s with ade@uate
re"ard to the wider impli*ations o3 their de*isions
1rom 3ranks ar"uments rules &! their nature *annot *ontrol de*isions &! *ourts and other
o33i*ialsD se*ondl!5 the overridin" 3un*tion o3 law is the settlement o3 disputes
1,
4 #**ordin" to
1rank5 de*isions are as a result o3 multipli*it! o3 motives operatin" on the 3inder o3 3a*ts5 whi*h
leads him to 3ind suita&le 3a*ts to 3it the rules that will support the de*ision4 <hese motives will
produ*e the same de*ision whatever the rules
17
4
1-
"nternational student edition by J 6 @arris on Le%al Ahilosophies, Second Edition published
in 199, by Butterworths London, Edinbur%h, Bublin
1<
See particularly .ran3Ds searchin% criticis&s o. the 5&erican trial syste& in courts in trial
:19-9; See J ?ran3 CardoEo and the upper court &yth :19-+; 1#, law and conte&porary
proble&s
1>
"nternational student edition by J 6 @arris on Le%al Ahilosophies, Second Edition published
in 199, by Butterworths London, Edinbur%h, Bublin
1,
"nternational student edition by J 6 @arris on Le%al Ahilosophies, Second Edition published
in 199, by Butterworths London, Edinbur%h, Bublin
10
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
Realism and the Courts
#t the time o3 realist atta*k5 %udi*ial de*ision makin" was per*eived as me*hani*al4 <he le"al
realist response was to ar"ue that %ud"es o3ten have dis*retion5 that %udi*ial de*isions were o3ten
in pra*ti*e determined &! 3a*tors other tan the le"al rules and to move the 3o*us 3rom *on*eptual
anal!sis to poli*! &ased ar"uments and 3a*t 3indin"4
:ud"es simpl! de*ided *ases &! merel! dis*overin" the appropriate le"al rule5 a pro*ess that
re@uired the mere appli*ation o3 simple lo"i*al dedu*tion 3rom &asi* prin*iples4 #**ordin" to
realists %ud"es in 3a*t 3ollow their instin*ts in de*idin" *ases5 makin" sham re3eren*es to rules o3
lawD "enerall! the! are themselves unaware o3 what the! are doin" an persist 3oolishl! in
&elievin" that the! are o&edient to pre*edent
1-
4
#**ordin" to realists on %udi*ial de*isions makin" is that the de*isions were stron"l!
underdetermined &! le"al rules5 *on*epts and pre*edent and that %ud"es were or should &e hi"hl!
responsive to the 3a*ts and the wa! the 3a*ts were presented in rea*hin" de*isions4 :ud"es should
respond primaril! to the stimulus o3 the 3a*ts o3 the *ase4
Realists *laim that %udi*ial de*isions *annot &e &ased solel! on these rules and *on*epts and
%ud"es who *laim otherwise were either 3oolin" themselves or l!in"
1.
4 0aw is a so*ial tool whi*h
involves the understandin" o3 how people a*tuall! &ehave and the wa! in whi*h le"al rules
re3le*t or a33e*t &ehaviour
20
4 <his turn o3 so*ial s*ien*es *an &e seen in a num&er o3 pla*es
in*ludin" =<he 2randeis 2rie3> a &rie3 on le"al issues that &iases its le"al *on*lusions on
e+tensive so*iolo"i*al resear*h4 0ouis 2randeis *o ; wrote a &rie3 de3endin" the *onstitutionalit!
o3 a state statute limitin" ma+imum workin" hours 3or women4 /t *ontained two pa"es o3 le"al
ar"ument and ninet! 3ive pa"es o3 so*iolo"i*al and e*onomi* data a&out *onditions o3 workin"
1+
Bo "nter&ediate 5ppellate Courts @a(e a Law&a3in% ?unction by Ben*a&in =aplan
published in ,/ Massachusetts Law 2e(iew 1/ at 1/ :19+<;
19
Jurisprudence: Theory and Context second edition by Brian Brix published in 1999 by
London Sweet and Maxwell p% 1,! para -
!/
"bid
11
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
women>s lives in 3a*tories5 the 2randeis &rie3 &! hi"hli"htin" so*ial and e*onomi* realit!
su""ested that the trou&le with e+istin" law was that it was out o3 tou*h with that realit!
21
4
#s illustrated in the 3ollowin" *ase the *ourt interpreted the rule in li"ht to the *ir*umtan*es
o&tainin" at the timeD Charles 'e(u)en Na*ori + , others - Attorne) .eneral + / others
00
*)
Agan)an)a J1 Ra2al J and Anga2a J1 Agan)an)a J dissented3 <his *ase relates to the
introdu*tion o3 the harm3ul and environmentall! deleterious plant =Mathen"e> in "am&o
0o*ation5 Mari"at Division in 2arin"o Distri*t4 <he %ud"ment &! the *onstitutional *ourt sets
*lear and authoritative pre*eden*e on rules o3 interpretation4 <he %ud"ment should &e applauded
3or it interprets the *onstitutional provisions in the li"ht o3 surroundin" *ir*umstan*es4 /t "ives
pre3eren*e to the spirit and li3e o3 the *onstitution as opposed to written words4 <he ma%or issues
raised are ri"ht to li3e and ri"ht to propert!4 Ra2al J "ives a su**in*t interpretation to the law
with *omplete disre"ard to li&eral approa*h as pra!ed &! the #(4 <he %ud"ment makes re3eren*e
to the *ase o3 4artha 5arua - 5iss 677 whi*h "ives depi*ts the *onstitution as alive and not as
dead4
!1
"bid
!!
:!//,; E3lr
12
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
+chievements o, legal realism
0e"al realism has a num&er o3 impli*ations as e+plained &elowI
a9 0e"al realism %usti3ies :udi*ial and 0aw re3orm4 1or 6olmes a stron" &eliever in %udi*ial
restraint 7in %ud"es de3errin" to le"islative de*isions and 3ollowin" pre*edent stri*tl!9 this
was an ar"ument 3or le"islative *han"e o3 old *ommon law rules4 <his %usti3ied %udi*ial
re3orm o3 outdated rules4 0aws invented in histori*al *onte+t whi*h had &een superseded
should &e reviewed to serve the present purpose o&tainin" 3rom the *urrent
*ir*umstan*es4
&9 0ivin" interpretation o3 the 0aw4 <his theor! ar"ues 3or livin" law4 <he livin" law is that
law whi*h is not imprisoned in the rules o3 law &ut whi*h dominates itsel34 Rules should
&e *onstrued in the li"ht o3 purposes and poli*ies4 Rules should &e *onstrued narrowl! or
&roadl! as the *ase ma! &e in *on3ormit! with purposes and poli*ies involved4
*9 0e"al Mdu*ation4 0e"al realism has an impa*t on how le"al edu*ation is tau"ht4 <he le"al
*on*epts should &e thou"ht in a wa! whi*h dem!sti3ies them and that le"al issues should
&e shown to &e o3ten underdetermined &! the le"al rules alone5 with poli*! ar"uments
appropriate and ne*essar! 3or resolution4
d9 Re*o"nition o3 mar"inalised "roups and *ommunities4 Realists o33ered a new set o3
ar"uments &ased on man! 3a*tors in*ludin" so*ial s*ien*e that *ould &e used and has
&een used to support *laims o3 mar"inalised *ommunities on "rounds o3 pervasive &ias4
1or e+ample women5 the poor5 pastoralist *ommunities5 reli"ious "roups and a"ainst
other minorities4 <his lead to &irth o3 *riti*al le"al movements whi*h will &e dis*ussed
later4 /n essen*e le"al realism is a 3orerunner to *riti*al le"al studies5 *riti*al ra*e theor!5
@ueer theor! and 3eminism and o3 late homose+uals4
13
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
Criticisms
/s it a valid *riti*ism o3 the realists that the! i"nore the purel! normative *hara*ter o3 le"al rules
and seek to repla*e those &! s*ienti3i* statements la!in" down uni3ormit! o3 human *ondu*tL
0e"al rules are norms *ondu*t whi*h are in themselves neither true nor 3alse4 Jet the realists
seem to &e seekin" to prove their truth or 3alsit! in relation to the *riteria o3 a*tual human
&ehavior4 <his is not an eas! point to deal with5 espe*iall! as it *on*erns a lo"i*al distin*tion o3
the kind to whi*h the realists5 with his addi*tion to &rute 3a*t remains pro3oundl! indi33erent4 <he
realist does not den! the normative *hara*ter o3 le"al rules4 What he sa!s is that these norms do
not provide the *omplete answer to the a*tual &ehavior o3 *ourts5 le"al o33i*ials or those en"a"ed
in le"al transa*tions4 /3 we are to understand the a*tual workin" o3 law in human it is not enou"h
to simpl! peruse a *olle*tion o3 the relevant le"al norms 3or this tells as a little a&out a*tual
&ehavior in this sense o3 how le"al &usiness is in 3a*t transa*ted4 )3 *ourse a 3ollower o3 Kelsen
mi"ht sa! that this is outside the 3ield o3 true le"al s*ien*e5 &ut he *annot and indeed would not
den! that it>s a le"itimate 3ield o3 in@uir! in its sel34 <he kelsenite5 there3ore *on*entrates on his
norms5 the realists on his 3a*t o3 so*iet!5 ea*h re"ardin" the other s a*tivit! as patroni?in"l! as a
peripheral stud! on the 3rin"e o3 his own *entral sphere4 Jet5 it ma! &e su""ested5 &oth e@uall!
represent essential aspe*t o3 the le"al pro*ess i3 an overall pi*ture is to &e taken o3 law5 whi*h is
&oth an intelle*tual *on*ept and a 3un*tion o3 human so*iet!4
#**ordin" to 0aura Kalman #meri*an realism theor! thou"h its *ontri&ution &roadens the
*urri*ulum that it onl! le3t the representation o3 the wealth! at its heart and ena&led &oth the *ase
&ook and *ase method to survive4 2! the 1.,0s the! had made appositive *ontri&ution to le"al
edu*ation and the appellate opinion la! at the *ore o3 le"al edu*ation thou"h not at the *entre o3
le"al pra*ti*e
23
and there3ore she sees realism as mu*h like its *ompanion5 the new deal4 /t ma!
have seemed revolutionar!5 &ut there was no revolution5 or as (ilmore has put it4 <he revolution
ma! have merel! a pala*e revolution5 not mu*h more than a *han"in" o3 the "uard
2$
4 <o Kalman
realism was not intelle*tuall! si"ni3i*ant and peda"o"i*all! it had not 3ul3illed its promise4
(ilmore too *on*ludes *riti*all! that the! no more proposed to a&andon the &asi* tenets o3
!#
6here settle&ent out o. court, o. new alternati(e &ethod o. dispute resolution was the
%oal, 5B2 &ethod
!-
The a%es o. 5&erican law :19,,;, p +,
1$
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
0an"dellian %urispruden*e that the protestant Re3ormers o3 the 1'
th
and 1,
th
*enturies proposed to
a&andon the &asi* tenets o3 Christian theolo"!4 Realists *on*lude Kalman pointed to the role o3
idios!n*ras! in law4 Whilst retainin" a &elie3 in the rule o3 law4 #**ordin"l! the! attempt to
make it more e33i*ient and more *ertain4 #nd so she ar"ues that the! 3ailed to *on3ront their own
most arrestin" that all law is politi*s4
6orwit? ar"ues that the most important le"a*! o3 realism as its *hallen"e to the orthodo+ *laim
that le"al thou"ht was separated and autonomous 3rom moral and politi*al dis*ourse4 <heir atta*k
on dedu*tive le"al reasonin" *onstituted he ar"ues the realist most ori"inal and lastin"
*ontri&ution to the le"al thou"hts4 Without rules5 how do we know who are o33i*ials5 3or are the!
not appointed a**ordin" to rulesL
2'
6ow *an a %ud"e on the hi"hest *ourt see the law as a predi*tion o3 what the %ud"es will doLD the
hi"hest *ourt is the 3inal word on what the law will mean and there is no other *ourt whose
de*isions the %ud"es *ould tr! to predi*t
2,
4
T%- SC+.DI.+/I+. L-0+L R-+LIS1
7a9 /ntrodu*tion
When works &! S*andinavian %urists was pu&lished in Mn"lish *ommon law!ers slowl!
&e*ame aware o35 and their understandin" in*reased in5 the si"ni3i*ant movement in le"al
thou"ht in the ordi* *ountries known as Scandinavian realism"
&7
<he S*andinavian le"al
realists wrote around the same time as the +merican legal realists5 &ut the! had
si"ni3i*ant less lon" term in3luen*e4 )ne o3 the reasons 3or this has &een the 3a*t that
S*andinavian *ountries are relatively insulated and are5 unlike the rest o3 Murope5 less
codi,ied
2-
and more 2udge3oriented4
2.
<his movement>s intelle*tual leader was the
!<
"nternational student edition by J 6 @arris on Le%al Ahilosophies, Second Edition published
in 199, by Butterworths London, Edinbur%h, Bublin
!>
Brian Brix on Jurisprudence: Theory and Context, Second Edition published in 1999 by
London Sweet and Maxwell
!,
?ree&an, MB5, LloydDs "ntroduction to Jurisprudence, Sweet 4 Maxwell Ltd, London,
!//1, ,
th
Ed, p +<<
!+
"bid note
!9
?ro& the writin%s o. 5l. 2oss, towards A realistic Jurisprudence :5nnie " ?ausboll, trans,
Scientia 9erla% 5alen, Bar&stadt, 19+9; 19->; 5nd the writin% o. =arl 7li(ecrona, Law as
1'
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
Fhilosopher5 4ro," +5el %agerstrom 71-,-;1.3.9 3rom whom S*andinavian realism derives
its inspirationI and its most prominent theorists were +l, Ross 71-..;1.7.95 'arl
#livecrona 71-.7;1.-095 and +"/" Lundstedt 71--2;1.''94
Scandinavian realism &! its ver! nature identi3ies the law with psychological occurrences
i4e45 the sensation produced in people6s minds as a result o, legal words"
(7
S*andinavian
le"al realists> ar"uments were &ased on a s*eptical approach to metaphysical claims in
general and metaphysical language in law in particular4 %agerstrom work5 in 3a*t5
emphasises the stran"eness o3 the lan"ua"e5 the m!sti*al or ma"i*al histori*al 7and perhaps
present9 &asis o3 mu*h o3 our le"al lan"ua"e4 Mu*h o3 the work o3 the S*andinavian le"al
realists attempts to translate re3eren*es to Ari"htsE5 AdutiesE and Apropert!E to more empiri*al
terms4 A
8b9 Scandinavian theorists6 thesis
8!9 +5el %agerstrom 8!:;:3!<(<9
6e was not a law!er &ut a philosopher whose attention was dire*ted to law and ethics as
particularly ,ertile sources o, metaphysics4
31
6e wanted to esta&lish a real le"al s*ien*e
whi*h *ould &e applied to reor"anisation o3 so*iet! in %ust the same wa! as the natural
s*ien*e has &een used to trans3orm the environment4 /n his @uest to destro! trans*endental
metaph!si*s he *onsidered the law as the &est startin" point4 6is *ontri&utions to
%urispruden*e and moral philosoph! were lar"el! destru*tive4 6e was at pains to point out
the =metaph!si*al> elements in others> theories4 /ndeed5 mu*h o3 his work in*ludes a critic
o, the errors o, 2uristic thought in +ustin6s command theory and su*h *on*epts as will
o, the state and ,actual e5planation o, concepts such as a right4
6e ,ound suspect all accounts o, law and morals with included assertions that a
moral or legal rule actually e5istsD 3or su*h talk must assume that there is some non;
Fact :!nd ed, Ste(ensonDs, London, 19,1). "t is e(idence that Scandina(ian law is less
codiFed than &ost o. Europe Countries
#/
@arris, J6, Le%al Ahilosophies, Butterworths, London, Edinbur%h, Bublin, 199,, !
nd
Ed, p
1/#
#1
"bid note 1#, p +<>
1,
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
natural sense in whi*h thin"s *ould e+istD and there3ore presupposes a world alon"side or
superior to the ph!si*al world4 6e said that value %ud"ements a&out ri"ht and wron" are
purely emotive" <he! merel! e+press our 3eelin"s o3 like or dislike4 Similarl! in law5 an
assertion that there e5ists a binding rule mysti,ies the truth5 3or =bindingness6 as a
@ualit! has no *ounterpart in sense;e+perien*e4
6is histori*al resear*hes *onvin*ed him that5 in primitive law5 men really believed in
magical powers and bonds to which the words =right6 and =duty6 8or =obligation69
corresponded4
32
#s law developed5 &elie3 in these ma"i*al entities 3aded awa! &ut still
people went on usin" these nouns with the same ps!*holo"i*al e33e*t as the! had over
their more *redulous an*estors4 <he assertion that one has =a ri"ht> produces a sensation
o, power> and the assertion that someone has an =an obligation6 t!pi*all! produces in
him ,eelings o, constraint4
<his skepti*al approa*h to le"al rules and le"al *on*epts has &een developed &! writers o3
the s*hool5 the two most well;known o3 whom in Mn"lish;speakin" world &ein" the
Swede5 'arl #livecrona 8!:<7 3!<:79 and the Dane5 +l, Ross 8!:<< ? !<7<9" <he!
sou"ht to &uild up a pi*ture o3 law5 startin" with the insi"hts whi*h 6a"erstrom provided4
<he! share with him the assumption that the only =reality6 to which =law6 may
correspond is a psychological reality4
8&9 'arl #livecrona 8!:<7 ? !<:79
6e e@uates law with =independent imperatives6"
((
6e ar"ues that it is ,alse to thin* o,
law as the commands o, an actual person@ 3or no human &ein" *ould "o a&out
*ommandin" all that is *ontained in the lawD and to identi,y the commander o, the law
with the =state6 or the =people6 is to deal in abstractions and there,ore in unrealities4
6e ar"ues that what a*tuall! o**urs when le"islation is ena*ted is that a proposal5 su*h as
a &ill5 is su&%e*ted to *ertain 3ormal a*ts o3 votin"5 si"nin" and promul"ation4 Aecause o,
the hold these ,ormalities have over people6s minds@ the contents o, the bill acBuire a
#!
"bid note 1>, p 1/-
##
"bid
17
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
special psychological e,,ectiveness4 # le"al provision *ontains two elementsD an idea o,
an action 7e4"45 =stealin">95 and some imperative symbol 7=ou"ht>5 =dut!>5 o33en*e>94 The
provision itsel, is 2ust words on paper4 <he =realit!> to whi*h =s*ienti3i*> dis*ourse a&out
law must *orrespond *onsists o3 the psychological reactions o, individuals ? the ideas o,
imaginary actions and the sensations o, compulsion and restraint produced when a
provision is brought to our auditory or visual attention"
6e takes the same view o3 the overall ,unction o, the law as does 'elsen@ namely the
monopoly o, ,orce in the hands o, state o,,icials4 6e ar"ues that le"al rules must &e
pla*ed within the world o3 *ause and e33e*t5 and this is onl! possi&le i3 the! are understood
as psychological phenomena" 6e envisa"es a so*iet! in whi*h it is 3elt desira&le &! those
in power to make some new 3orm o3 a*tivit! the su&%e*t o3 prohi&ition4 Rules will &e
promul"ated 3or&iddin" the *ondu*t in @uestion5 *oupled with the threat o3 san*tions4
/nitiall!5 those to whom the prohi&itions are dire*ted will *al*ulate5 on ea*h o**asion o3
temptation5 whether the "ains o3 diso&edien*e are worth the risk o3 san*tion4 2ut the
human personalit! *annot withstand *onstant warrin" &etween temptation and 3earD so
eventuall! &oth will &e pushed into the su&*ons*ious5 and will &e repla*ed in the
*ons*ious mind &! some arational imperative symbol@ su*h as =ou"ht not> alread!
imprinted with a disapprobative symbol4 )n*e the rule has &een internalised in this wa!5
there is usuall! no need 3or the a*tual threat o3 3or*e4 6e ar"ues that this is how most o3
our so;*alled =moral> standards are *reated4
6e ar"ues that the special advantage o, the psychological hold which =legal6 has over
our minds is that it enables the power holders in society to introduce new standards ?
employing the psychologically3loaded legislative ,ormalities ? which will gain some
ascendancy over our personalities even without actual threat o, ,orce" orce is
necessary i, the internalisation process is to be maintained> but most o, the time it
can be *ept in the bac*ground"
6e 3urther ar"ues that law and 3or*e are asso*iated in two wa!sI
1-
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
7a9 0aw "ains its initial ps!*holo"i*al hold5 and 3rom time to time stren"thens the hold it
has5 &! the appli*ation o3 san*tions4
7&9 <he *ontent o3 le"al provisions determines e+*lusivel! the *ir*umstan*es in whi*h the
e+er*ise o3 3or*e is thou"ht proper4
6e also ar"ues that language is important because o, its use a techniBue o, social
control in entrenching the psychological e,,ects o, the law4 6e sa!s Athe =hollow>
words are like signposts with whi*h people have &een tau"ht to asso*iate ideas
*on*ernin" their own &ehaviour and that o3 others4E
3$
$ielding legal language is a ,ear
substitute"
)ne o3 his *hie3 critism is that he reaches empirical generalisations through armchair
theorising rather than through empirical research4 /t is @uestiona&le whether law
*reates morals in the wa! he *laims it does4 /s it not mere "uesswork to insist that the
e+isten*e o3 an =ou"ht> idea in a person>s mind is eviden*e that he5 or his 3ore&ears5 must
have repressed the temptation to per3orm an a*t so as to &e 3ree o3 the 3ear o3 san*tionsL
#nother *ritism o3 S*andinavian realism relates to the operation o, law on the
intellectual level4 Mven i3 it is true that le"al rules a*hieve e33e*ts throu"h
internationalisation5 surel! te+twriters5 pra*titioners and %ud"es who des*ri&e =the law>
are not purportin" to dis*uss the ps!*holo"i*al lives o3 *iti?ensL
8(9 +l, Ross 8!:<< ? !<7<9
6e modi3ied the prin*ipal tenets o3 S*andinavian realism to meet o&%e*tions to
)live*rona>s thesis4 =Law in action65 he sa!s5 is %ust what )live*rona des*ri&edD but
when legal science spea*s o, =law6 it does not re,er@ directly@ to the psychological lives
o, the citiCenry4
3'
<he =directives6 which it describes constitute a =scheme o,
interpretation6 which enables one to predict the behaviour o, o,,icials4 <he ou"ht ideas
in the law5 as the! pass 3rom the mind o3 law tea*her to student5 are =ou"ht> moulds with
no stimulatin" e33e*tD &ut armed with them5 the student *an tell what %ud"es will do 3or he
#-
"bid, p 1/>
#<
"bid
1.
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
knows that5 in the %udi*ial mind5 the! will set o33 sensations o3 *ompulsion4 %e argues
that to assert that a certain provision is valid law means that i, the provision is cited
to a 2udge it would in,luence his decision"
6e 3urther ar"ues that i3 when one sa!s that there is a valid rule one intends to sa! that
some entit! independent o3 the world o3 time and spa*e =e+ists> and has some non;natural
@ualit! o3 =&indin"ness>5 one is talkin" meanin"less metaph!si*s as the realists have
shown4 2ut i35 he ar"ues5 one means that a parti*ular ps!*holo"i*al phenomenon will5
predi*ta&l!5 o**ur in the spiritual lives o3 %ud"es5 then one>s assertion is one a&out this
world and5 *onsistentl! with lo"i*al positivism5 it *an &e tested &! e+periment in the
*ourts4
It is to be noted that Ross@ li*e the +merican realists but unli*e other Scandinavian
realists@ is speci,ically court3centred"
#s has stated a&ove5 he emphasi?es the normative character o, legal propositions &ut
pre,ers the term DdirectivesD or Buasi 3commands
3,
to )live*rona>s Aindependent
imperatives4 6e points out that a distin*tion must &e drawn &etween two kinds o3 le"al
knowled"e5 i4e45 the law a*tuall! in 3or*e 7e4"45 statute law9 and senten*es in the te+t &ooks
7i4e45 where the law in a statute is stated94 <he 3ormer is pres*riptive and the later *onsists
o3 assertions or des*riptions as 3ar as the! intend to a33ord knowled"e o3 what is a*tuall!
the law4 A<he! are pres*riptions not o3 the law5 &ut a&out the law4E Whereas Ross does not
seek5 as 0undstedt does5 to introdu*e all law as a so*iolo"i*al phenomenon5 on the
*ontrar! his *on*lusion is the more reasona&le one that Avalid lawE means an a&stra*t set
o3 normative ideas whi*h serve as a s*heme o3 interpretation 3or the phenomenon o3 law in
a*tion 7e4"4 a*tual ph!si*al a*tivities in the transa*tion o3 sale94
Ross 3ormerl! held that the validit! o3 law would properl! &e *onsidered onl! 3rom one
point o3 view5 i4e45 as a s*heme o3 interpretation ena&lin" us to *omprehend5 and within
su*h limits as are pra*ti*a&le to predi*t the a*tivities o3 %ud"es4 6e ori"inall! asserted that
a le"al norm su*h as a statutor! rule was primaril! a dire*tive not to population at lar"e
&ut to the %ud"e4 <his was met with a lot o3 *riti*ism and re*entl! he has satis3ied his
"round somewhat and *ounters some o3 the *riti*ism4 6e now di33erentiates a lo"i*al and
#>
"n law and Justice :19<+;
20
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
ps!*holo"i*al point o3 view5 i4e45 le"al rules are rules a&out the e+er*ise o3 3or*e and as
su*h dire*ted to o33i*ials4 <heir o&servan*e is &ased on the e+perien*e o3 validit!5 e4"45 a
statutor! prohi&ition a"ainst murders implied in the rule dire*tin" the *ourts and other
administrative a"en*ies to deal with an! *ase o3 murder &rou"ht &e3ore them in the
re@uisite manner4 <hus a**ordin"l! the rule o3 su&stantive law has no independent
e+isten*e4
6e makes emphasis that 3rom a ps!*holo"i*al point o3 view there do e+ist two o3 sets
norms4 Rules addressed to *iti?ens are 3elt ps!*holo"i*all! to &e independent entries
whi*h are "rounds 3or the rea*tions o3 the authorities5 and it thus 3ollows that these
primar! rules must &e seen as a*tuall! e+istin" norms in so 3ar as the! are 3ollowed with
re"ularit! and e+perien*ed as &indin"4 Rules there,ore brie,ly states that there is no
need to describe two sets o, directives one to the population at large the other to the
courts@ ,or the ,orms can be understood ,rom the latter to *now these secondary rules
is to *now everything about the e5istence and content o, law4>
37
<his has &een
*riti*i?ed as omittin" a whole dimension o3 laws as it cannot really be supposed that
laws are made to measure the behaviour o, o,,icials" Law is a means o, social control
and as such aimed at the public generally4
$hy the behaviour posited in the primary directive is generally obeyed" Ross asserts
that =the more e33e*tivel! a rule is *omplied with in e+tra;%udi*ial li3e the more di33i*ult it
is to as*ertain whether the rule possesses validit!5 &e*ause the *ourts have that mu*h less
opportunit! to mani3est their rea*tions4
#s *an &e seen 3rom the 3ore"oin"5 Ross now seems to recogniCe the social dimensions
o, law@ and that it is5 as a matter o3 %uristi* pre*ision5 possi&le to redu*e all laws to
dire*tions to o33i*ials and thus indire*tl! admits that the &ehaviour and 3eelin"s o3 all
mem&ers o3 so*iet! are the =so*ial 3a*ts> re@uired to determine the e+isten*e o3 rules o3
law4 6e a**epts )live*rona>s =psychological realism6"
Ross has not limited himsel3 to a purel! &ehaviouristi* interpretation o3 %udi*ial or so*ial
a*tivit!4 With respe*t to a %ud"e5 he insists that one must undertake a deeper anal!sis o3 his
=ideological6 or =spiritual li,e6" <his is *lose to the #meri*an realisti* position4
#,
Birecti(es and nor&s pp +9 G 9!
21
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
#s with 6art5 the e+ternal aspe*t o3 law is des*ri&ed as the outwardl! o&serva&le and
re"ular *omplian*e with a pattern o3 a*tion4 2ut sa!s that there must &e a 3eelin" o3
*ompulsion to o&serve the &ehaviour pres*ri&ed what he des*ri&es as an> e+perien*e o3
validit!>4 <hus5 thou"h Ross>s =ver&al rea*tions o3 disapproval> looks like 6art>s =critical
re,lective attitude6 their internal aspe*ts do not *oin*ide4
Ross e@uation o3 validit! and so*ial 3a*ts poses a num&er o3 pro&lems thusI ;
8a9 it involves reductions o, Buestions o, validity to Buestions o, e5istence4 1or Ross
law5 e+ists i3 it is e33e*tivel! 3ollowed and a*tuall! adhered to4 0aw is valid i3 it is 3elt
&! %ud"es to &e &indin"4 <his has been criticiCed on the basis that 2udicial
2udgment may be an e5ercise o, rationaliCation@ and may be made out ,ear or
indi,,erence@ and thus not law"
8b9 Ross treats validity o, laws and ,eelings o, obligations those laws impose in the
wrong seBuence" Wh!L )ne *annot identi3! valid laws &! 3eelin"s o3 =,eeling bound>
whi*h has to result 3rom the ver! o&li"ations those laws impose4
8c9 Ross ,ails to see that the absence o, 2udicial opinions as in the case where laws are
well complied thus not sub2ect to the courts it would be impossible to ascertain
the validity o, that law"
7$9 +nders /ilhelm Lundstedt 71--2 8 1.''9
6e was a Swedish le"al philosopher5 parti*ularl! known as a proponent o3 S*andinavian
le"al realism5 havin" &een in3luen*ed &! his *ompatriot #+el 6N"erstrOm4 6e studied 0aw
at 0und Gniversit! and was a pro3essor o3 law at the Gniversit! o3 Gppsala 3rom 1.1$ to
1.'24 :ust as 6N"erstrOm and #l3 Ross5 he resists the e+position o3 ri"hts as metaph!si*al
entities4 <he le"al approa*h should "et rid o3 them4
8c9 Illustrations o, application o, Scandinavian realism arguments to various principles@
concepts and doctrines o, law:
8!9 Concept o, right
22
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
6a"erstrom dismisses attempts that have &een made to dis*over the empiri*al &asis o3 a
ri"ht as unsu**ess3ul &! statin" thatI Athe 3a*tual &asis we are seekin" *annot &e 3ound P
either in prote*tion "uaranteed
3-
or the *ommand issued
3.
&! an e+ternal authorit!A4 6e
states that the =idea> has nothin" to do with realit!D its *ontent is some kind o3
supernatural power with re"ard to thin"s and persons4 /ts *ontent is some kind o3
supernatural power with re"ard to the thin"s and persons4 6e sou"ht a ps!*holo"i*al
e+planation5 and 3ound it in the 3eelin" o3 stren"th and power asso*iated with the
*onvi*tion o3 possessin" a ri"htI Done ,ights better i, he ,elt that he has a right on his
sideE"
729 Legal language 8
6a"erstrom made e+tensive studies o3 (reek and more parti*ularl!5 Roman law and
histor! and made a *on*lusion that modern law is e@uall! a ritualisti* e+er*ise5 e4"45 le"al
oath5 the &la*k *ap5 the weddin" rin" or the *oronation *eremon!4 6e 3urther stated that
legal words tend to change in legal relationships4 )live*rona "ives *reden*e to this
assertion &! his wordsI =it is the language o, magic6"
8(9 Law as a ,act
<he S*andinavian Realists resem&le other modern s*hools in their positivist outlook and
their desire to eliminate metaph!si*s4 or them law can be e5plained only in terms o,
observable ,acts5 whi*h is the s*ien*e o3 law5 is there3ore5 a true s*ien*e like an! other
*on*erned with 3a*ts and events in the realm o3 *ausalit!4 <hus5 all su*h notions as the
&indin" 3or*e or validit! o3 law5 the e+isten*e o3 le"al ri"hts and duties and the notion o3
propert!5 are dismissed as 3antasies o3 the mind with no a*tual e+isten*e other than in
some ima"inar! metaph!si*al world4
)live*rona5 3urther propounds the view that rule o3 law are what he terms Aindependen*e
imperativesE5 that is prepositions in =imperative 3orm>5 that is prepositions in imperative
3orm 7as opposed to statements o3 3a*t9 &ut not issuin"5 like *ommands5 3rom parti*ular
#+
The sate only steps in i. the ri%ht o. the property is (iolated, so ri%ht o. property is
prereHuisite o. protection
#9
Aowers to sell or trans.er cannot be explained as .actual basis o. a ri%ht
23
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
persons4 #**ordin" to )live*rona law Ae+istsE onl! in the sense that words are to &e
3ound written on pie*es o3 paper5 or stored or present in human minds or memories and
the real si"ni3i*an*e o3 these words is merel! in the 3a*tual *ir*umstan*es that these are a
link in the *hain o3 *ausation produ*in" *ertain *auses o3 &ehaviour on the part o3 the
human &ein"s4 /n other words #livecrona adopts the causal theory o, language" 1or
e+ample5 he distin"uishes two t!pes o3 le"al lan"ua"eI te*hni*al 7or hallow9 and per
3ormative4 <he 3ormer is passive distur&in" a state o3 a33airs e4"4 Q is the owner o3
3armers land5E A)wnerE has no *ounterpart in the sensi&le world &ut is a Asi"nalE
invested with a so*ial 3un*tion &e*ause people have learnt to relate to it in a parti*ular
manner4 /n other words as per 6a"erstroms ma"i*5 the word =owner =produ*es *ertain
desired results4
0undstedt asserts that le"al rules are more than =la&els> whi*h torn 3rom their *onte+t
these Ala&elsE ma! in3luen*e a*tion5 thou"h the *ausal *onne*tion seems *ompli*ated4 6e
also ur"es that le"al rules are no more than pro*edures 3or a*hievin" a parti*ular purpose
7e4"4 a*hievin" so*ial wel3are9 in the same wa! as en"ineers or sailors have re*o"ni?ed
pro*edures 3or *onstru*tin" navi"ation4
1urther he states that i3 a law!er ar"ues that &e*ause o3 a *ertain rule Aa le"al dut! is
imposed5 this amounts to supportin" a metaph!si*al or normative link whi*h no amount
o3 o&servation *an esta&lish as a 3a*t4 6e re%e*ted le"al duties and le"al ri"hts and saw
ri"hts and duties as nothin" more than *on*lusions 3rom rules o3 law4
Lundstedt anal!sis o3 R)land$s ! Fletcher was that what the *ourts a*tuall! did in
de*idin" the *ase was to de*ide what the rule as to dama"es should &e 3or *ases in
whi*h somethin" dan"erous es*aped 3rom land4 <he 3a*t that is reasoned in terms o3 an
o&li"ation on the propert! 8owner was illusor! super3luous and &e*ause it m!sti3ies also
harm3ul4
$0
Lundstedt view on %usti*e was that law was one prin*iple 3a*tor that moulded
and re3ined 3eelin"s o3 :usti*e4
8F9 eatures o, law:
-/
?or this Lundstedt has been criticiEed by Ca&pbell that while I=elsenJo1ered an
account o. law stated purely in ter&s o. sollen, Lundstedt Jtried to present an account
purely in ter&s o. sein , thereby throwin% the baby out with the Birth 6ater
2$
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
Despite the re%e*tion o3 metaph!si*s5 )live*rona still en"a"es in a sear*h 3or the
*hara*teristi* 3eatures o3 law4 1or him these are dis*erned in *ertain 3a*tual
*ir*umstan*es5 *onne*ted with a de #acto or"ani?ation o3 persons5 the state whi*h read!
to appl! the laws and whi*h possess a monopol! o3 3or*e this purpose4
$1

8G9 Law and morals"
Can legislation make mores? <he S*andinavians have sou"ht to reverse the "eneral
notion o3 morals standard as &ein" em&odied in law &! the idea that it is moral ideas that
are lar"el! determined &! law4 #**ordin"l!5 it is ar"ued that law is the primar! 3a*tor in
determinin" and in3luen*in" moral standards espe*iall! &! its use o3 3or*e5 e4"45 propert!
is unthinka&le independentl! o3 law and le"al ma*hiner! and i3 san*tions are removed
man>s morals would under"o a pro3ound *han"e4
hat came !irst" law or morals? Some morals su*h as relatin" to murder or the3t date
&a*k to su*h an earl! period that it is di33i*ult to disentan"le le"al5 moral a reli"ious
de*rees4 6owever5 at an! parti*ular sta"e o3 a so*iet! development !ou *an pinpoint
*ertain morals ur"in" *ertain *ondu*t even thou"h is in the *entrall!4 #**ordin"5 to
)live*rona the development o3 moral standards is unthinka&le save in a *ontent o3 an
e+istin" le"al s!stem with 3or*e re"ularl! applied to maintain at least &asi* standards o3
so*ial *ondu*t4 6owever5 this di33erent 3rom assertions that ever! moral *han"e is derived
3rom the law4
8;9 Legal Ideology ? The method o, 2ustice vs" Social wel,are"
0undstedt asserts that all other %urists save himsel35 )live*rona and 6a"erstrom have
3ollowed the le"al ideolo"! or the method o3 %usti*e4 1ollowin" the method o3 %usti*e
le"al ideolo"! a**ordin"l!5 means rel!in" one wa! or another on a material o&%e*tive law
as underl!in" a*tual le"al s!stem and dependin" on the *ommon sense o3 %usti*e to
-1
The (iew that law consist o. rules about .orce is to be ascribe to =elsen (iew
2'
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
develop the law and to 3ill "aps in the le"al s!stem4 <he S*andinavians *ondemn this as a
metaph!si*al nonsense and an attempt to invoke natural law or %usti*e to suppl! an
o&%e*tive valuation in what5 3or the realists5 *an onl! &e purel! su&%e*tive5 sin*e 3or them
value %ud"ments depend purel! on individual 3eelin"s and emotions and are in*apa&le o3
s*ienti3i* o&%e*tivit!4
1or 0undstedt %urispruden*e must to a natural s*ien*e &ased on o&servation o3 3a*ts and
a*tual *onne*tions and not on personal evaluations or metaph!si*al entities and sin*e
s*ien*e has not develop su33i*ientl! he adopts what he *alls *onstru*tive %urispruden*e4
=Constru*tive> %urispruden*e has to work pra*ti*all! on the h!pothesis o3 *ertain so*ial
evaluations su*h as that le"al a*tivities are indispensi&le 3rom the e+isten*e o3 so*iet!
and that their aim is to produ*e the most 3ri*tionless 3un*tionin" o3 the le"al ma*hiner!4
6ow does 0undstedt 3or instant di33er 3rom 2ethamite or the Foundian approa*hL 6e
asserts that he pro*eeds not on an ideolo"i*al &asis5 e4"4 seekin" 3or A%usti*e> &ut solel! on
so*ial wel3are method5 i4e45 on people as the! are a*tuall! *onstituted4 So*ial wel3are
a**ordin"l! means the wa! o3 li3e and aspirations that people a*tuall! attain and not what
the! ou"ht to strive 3or4
0undstedt>s view on *riminal law and punishment are in line with his views on so*ial
wel3are4 6e ur"es that the individual *ase must &e seen 3rom the perspe*tive o3 the
interest o3 so*iet! as opposed to individuali?in" treatment5 a &eliever rather in "eneral
prevention penalties are to &reakdown the *riminal that the potential o33ender 3ears
punishment is a su&ordinate 3a*tor what is important is that *riminal law appeals to pu&li*
moralit!4 1or law to &e e33e*tive he ur"es that it must in3luen*e morals so that *ertain a*ts
&e*ame *ondemna&le and thus in this wa! *riminal %usti*e will su**eed in repressin"
*rime Bthis has &een termed as his most ori"inal *ontri&ution to le"al s*ien*eC4
0undstedt *asti"ates Found>s =%ural postulates> as nothin" more than phrase heaped upon
phrase without 3indin" an! line o3 thou"ht4 6owever5 he 3ails to see that his own
ar"uments are not e@uall! a rior as the! are drawn not 3rom so*iolo"i*al resear*h5 &ut
2,
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
evaluations with that i3 Found dis*usses law5 in *omplete a&stra*tion 3rom our e+perien*e
o3 it so is the 3ormulation o3 the so*ial wel3are method4 /t is true that in natural and an!
other s*ien*e5 h!potheses are onl! availa&le as 3ar as the! *an &e tested a"ainst veri3ia&le
o&servation4 <ests in this &oth *ir*umstan*es are !et to *ome4 2oth remain unveri3ied and
unas*ertained4
8d9 Conclusion
S*andinavian realist share a weakness with so*iolo"i*al %urists like Found 3or a riori
assertion while at the same time insistin" on the needs 3or &asin" law on the needs and on
so*ial li3e4 #s *ontrasted with #meri*an realists are not interested in "eneral theori?in" a&out
law althou"h the! share a 3eelin" that rules do not de*ide *ases 5however5 the! do not all
to"ether re3le*t the normative aspe*t o3 le"al rules that are interested with pra*ti*al workin"
o3 the %udi*ial pro*ess4 Gnlike the S*andinavians who are interested with the theoreti*al
operation o3 the le"al s!stem as a whole4
I" CRITIC+L L-0+L T%-#RH
!"7 D-I.ITI#.
Critical Theory is the e+amination and *riti@ue o3 so*iet! and *ulture5 drawin" 3rom
knowled"e a*ross the so*ial s*ien*es and humanities4
$2
<he term has two di33erent meanin"s
drawin" 3rom so*iolo"! and literar! *riti*ism4
$3

Criti*al theor!5 in the so*iolo"i*al *onte+t5 re3ers to a st!le o3 Mar+ist theor! with the
tenden*! to en"a"e with non;Mar+ist in3luen*es4
$$
<he *riti*al so*ial theor! involves a
normative dimension5 either throu"h *riti*i?in" the so*iet! 3rom some "eneral theor! o3
values5 norms5 or ou"ht5 or throu"h *riti*i?in" it in terms o3 its own espoused values5
$'
whereas *riti*al theor! in literar! studies entails attainin" knowled"e throu"h interpretation
to understand the meanin" o3 human te+ts and s!m&oli* e+pressions4
-!
http:))enwi3ipediaor%)wi3i)CriticalKle%alKstudies L(isited on 1</1!/1/M
-#
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27
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
Critical Legal Theory *hallen"es and overturns a**epted norms and standards in le"al
theor! and pra*ti*e4
$,
Some o3 the themes the *riti*al le"al theorists espouse areI;
$7
Contrar! to the *ommon per*eption5 le"al materials e4"4 statutes and *ase law do not
*ompletel! determine the out*ome o3 le"al disputes4 1or e+ample the in the appli*a&ilit!
o3 a statute or de*ided *ase do not ne*essaril! lead to a parti*ular de*ision in a "iven
parti*ular *ase4
<he idea that all Rlaw is politi*sR that le"al de*isions are a 3orm o3 politi*al de*ision5 &ut
not that it is impossi&le to tell %udi*ial and le"islative a*ts apart has &een *hallen"ed &!
C0S4 <he! ar"ue that there is no SpureS law or politi*s5 &ut rather the two 3orms work
to"ether and *onstantl! shi3t &etween the two lin"uisti* re"isters4
<he law tends to serve the interests o3 the wealth! and the power3ul &! prote*tin" them
a"ainst the demands o3 the poor and the suppressed "roups 7women5 ethni* minorities5
the workin" *lass5 indi"enous peoples5 the disa&led5 homose+uals et*49 3or "reater %usti*e4
&"7 %IST#RIC+L A+C'0#RI.D
Criti*al 0e"al Studies was 3ormall! laun*hed in 1.77 at the Con3eren*e at the Gniversit! o3
Wis*onsin;Madison4
$-
6owever its *on*eption "oes &a*k to 1.,0 when its 3oundin" mem&ers
parti*ipated in so*ial a*tivism surroundin" the Civil Ri"hts Movement and the Kietnam
War4
$.
Man! C0S s*holars entered law s*hool and tau"ht ideas and philosophies o3 post
modernit! 7intelle*tual movements o3 the last hal3 o3 the twentieth *entur!9 to the stud! o3
law4
'0
<heir tea*hin"s were in3luen*ed &! dis*iplines su*h as so*ial theor!5 politi*al
philosoph!5 and literar! theor!4
'1
<he ori"in o3 Criti*al 0e"al theor! is *redited to a "roup o3 !oun"er le"al a*ademi*s
re3le*ted on their lar"el! politi*al disa"reements with more senior s*holars5 3o*usin" on
issues o3 ra*e5 wealth ine@ualit! and the then on"oin" war at Kietnam4
'2
Foliti*all!5 the
*riti*al le"al theorists identi3ied themselves as su&stantiall! to the le3t o3 mainstream li&erals5
->
httpI//topi*s4law4*ornell4edu/we+/Criti*alTle"alTtheor! L(isited on 1</1!/1/M
-,
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2-
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
whom the! asso*iated with the Cold War and unwillin"ness to take the steps ne*essar! to
re*ti3! ra*ial and wealth ine@ualities4
'3

<he Criti*al 0e"al Studies movement *ommandeered nota&le s*holars su*h as Ro&erto
Gn"er5 Feter (a&el5 Dun*an Kenned!5 Karl Klare and Mark <ushnet4
'$
("7 R#1 R-+LIS1 T# CRITIC+L L-0+L STIDI-S"
GG
Criti*al 0e"al Studies arose 3rom #meri*an 0e"al realism4 /t ori"inated in an attempt to "ive
the lie to the *onventional wisdom that 0e"al Realism had &een a&sor&ed into the
mainstream o3 le"al thou"ht; an orthodo+! well *aptured in William <winnin">s memora&le
statement that =Realism is deadD we are all realists now4> <he C0S inherited 3rom the realist
&oth their emphasis on the indetermina*! in le"al do*trine and their deli"ht in the tauntin"
o3 mainstream le"al s*holars4
<here are three wa!s in whi*h C0S is similar to Realism5 &ut whi*h also involve advan*es
&e!ond realismI;
7i9 /ts relian*e on historio"raph!5
7ii9 /ts emphasis on do*trinal *riti@ues5 and
7iii9 /ts use o3 politi*al tradition4
%IST#RI#0R+4%H
<his is the idea that in3luen*es e+ternal to the le"al order rather than the internal *oheren*e
o3 a&stra*t le"al *on*epts a33e*tin" le"al development4 Realist historio"raph! shows that the
do*trine is in3luen*ed &! =realit!4> Realit! in*ludin" the 3irst prin*iples was what in3luen*ed
=the law> and the le"al out*omes4 Whereas the Criti*al 0e"al s*holars ar"ue that 3irst
prin*iples5 and not onl! the do*trinal prin*iples dedu*ed 3rom them are produ*ed &! &oth
histori*al *onditions and spe*i3i* modes o3 reasonin"4
<#
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pa%e !-,
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Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
Criti*al le"al s*holars have 3urther shown that &asi* assumptions underl!in" and
*onditionin" the development o3 do*trinal 3ields5 rather than merel! the do*trinal 3ields
themselves are *ontin"ent rather than ne*essar!5 representin" =*hoi*es o3 one set o3 values
over another4
6istori*al *ontin"en*! o3 law and on the role o3 histori*al transient modes o3 le"al reasonin"
in shapin" law introdu*es an important 3urther theme o3 the C0S movement; it =serves as an
appropriate prelude to proposals 3or the radi*al trans3ormation o3 &asi* institutions and
su""ests potential 3or the re*onstru*tion o3 the present order4>
D#CTRI.+L CRITIJI-S
Criti*al 0e"al Studies resem&le Realist do*trinalists in their anal!ti* te*hni@ue 8
demonstratin" that a&stra*t prin*iples like li&ert!5 3reedom o3 *ontra*t5 and propert! *an
"round *ontradi*tor! ar"uments in an! *ase4 6owever C0S di33er 3rom Realists &!
emplo!in" these te*hni@ues at a hi"her level o3 a&stra*tion and use also so*iolo"i*al5
philosophi*al5 anthropolo"i*al and ps!*holo"i*al te*hni@ues to un*over the assumptions and
ideolo"ies underl!in" the le"al order; askin" wh! inade@uate le"al theories persist rather
than simpl! pointin" out that the! are inade@uate; it approa*hes the e+istin" le"al order and
its &asi* assumptions 3rom the outside5 seekin" to *hara*teri?e5 not to parti*ipate in the wa!
in whi*h law *ontri&utes to the sta&ili?ation o3 the so*ial world4
4#LITIC+L TR+DITI#.
Criti*al le"al s*holars re%e*t Realism>s le"a*! o3 so*ial en"ineerin" and li&eral re3orm and
throu"h their *riti@ue pursue a politi*al vision o3 =parti*ipator! demo*ra*!5 *ivi*
repu&li*anism or de*entralised so*ialism4 Criti*al le"al s*holars o3ten use the e+pli*ation o3
le"al te+ts throu"h the interpretive te*hni@ues o3 dis*iplines other than law to stud! le"al
phenomena in a wa! di33erent 3rom mere do*trinal ela&oration4 Certain streams in literar!
*riti*ism 7e4"4 radi*al s*epti*ism a&out the plain meanin" o3 te+ts9 have aided *riti*al
s*holars to esta&lish a methodolo"! throu"h whi*h the! *an anal!se and *riti@ue *on*epts
30
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
and pro*esses without rein3or*in" their le"itima*! and depi*t le"al phenomena in a manner
that would reveal underl!in" truths a&out the le"al order4 <his method o3 te+tual e+pli*ation
*an &e pro&lemati* i3 evaluated in the li"ht o3 the politi*al utilit! and depth o3 insi"ht into
the me*hanisms o3 so*ial trans3ormation4
Stri*t 3o*us on literar!;st!le interpretations o3 le"al te+ts *ould divor*e *riti*al s*holarship
3rom the so*ial *onte+t o3 its in@uir!5 raisin" the spe*tre o3 a h!&rid 3ormalism that limits
knowled"e o3 so*io;le"al phenomena4 <his ma! in turn lead to spe*ulative in@uir! &ased on
so*ial theor!4 <o address these di33i*ulties *riti*al le"al s*holarship *ould posit its own
normative assumptions; =assumptions *on*ernin"5 3or instan*e the individual>s desire to
parti*ipate in *ommunit! li3e or the value o3 an institutional 3ramework that s!stemati*all!
redu*es e*onomi* ine@ualities>; and so su""ests *on*rete trans3ormation o3 parti*ular 3ields
in law or parti*ular le"al institutions4
Fure *riti*ism whi*h is the *onstant demonstration o3 indetermina*!5 in*oheren*e and
*ontradi*tion i3 in*essantl! en"a"ed in would *hallen"e the *ompla*en*! o3 mainstream
le"al s*holars a&out their natural ne*essit! o3 their &asi* assumptions5 per*eived naturalness
o3 the *urrent so*ial order5 and would point out the ine33i*ien*!5 *lass;&ias and the
undetermined nature o3 the *urrent le"al do*trines4
T%- CRITIC+L L-0+L STIDI-S =I.T-R.+L CRITIJI-6 T%-
C#.TR+DICTI#.S $IT%I. L-0+L T%#I0%T"
/nternal *riti@ue is intended to re3er to that element o3 C0S5 whi*h lie em&edded in 7li&eral9
le"al thou"ht whereas e+ternal *riti@ue re3ers to a di33erent strand o3 C0S whi*h adoptin" a
deta*hed perspe*tive removed 3rom the *on3ines le"al do*trine has attempted to sket*h the
outlines o3 an alternative politi*al 3ramework 3or the institutional or"anisation o3 modern
so*iet!4 C0S takes as its startin" point the indetermina*! ar"ument4 <he indetermina*!
ar"ument maintains that the do*trinal sour*es o3 law do not ne*essaril! di*tate one uni@uel!
*orre*t answer in *ases whi*h *ome to *ourt5 &ut mi"ht &e manipulated so as to le"itimate
whatever de*ision;maker wishes to rea*h4
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Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
/t 3ollows 3rom indetermina*! ar"ument that le"al rules alone do not produ*e *on*rete
de*isions in law5 whi*h are said to depend at least in part on *onsideration o3 matters o3
so*ial poli*!4 C0S ar"ues that the indetermina*! o3 le"al do*trines are as a result o3 the 3a*t
that le"al institutions are 3undamentall! divided over an appropriate vision 3or politi*al li3e4
<he 3undamental *on3li*t is said to &e a pull &etween the *laims o3 the individual on the one
hand and the *laims o3 the *ommunit! on the other4
/n li"ht o3 the 3ore"oin" Dun*an Kenned! has e+plained this 3undamental *ontradi*tion &!
seekin" to distin"uish &etween matters o3 su*stanti!e a8is and matters o3 #orm a8is in le"al
do*trine4 /n su&stantive a+is Kenned! talks o3 individualism and altruism4 /ndividualism
involves a *ommitment to the makin" o3 a sharp distin*tion &etween one>s own interests and
those o3 others5 *oupled with a &elie3 that a pre3eren*e in *ondu*t 3or one>s own interests is
le"itimate4 #ltruism on the other hand involves a &elie3 that one ou"ht not to indul"e a sharp
pre3eren*e 3or one>s own interest over those o3 others4 )n the 3ormal a+is Kenned! similarl!
distin"uishes two positions whi*h he *alls =rules> and =standards>4 # rule is a le"al do*trine
whi*h is pa*ka"ed in a pre*ise5 *ertain and ri"id 3ormulation so as to eliminate dis*retion on
the part o3 the de*ision;maker4 Whereas a standard is a prin*iple or poli*! whi*h *on3ers
dis*retion on the de*ision maker in that it re@uires him or her to appl! the so*ial values
em&odied in the standard in order to rea*h an individuated de*ision that is e@uita&le on the
3a*ts4 Kenned! ar"ues that there is an e+isten*e o3 a kind o3 theoreti*al matri+ in whi*h
=individualism> on the su&stantive a+is is linked with ri"id =rules> on the 3ormal a+is5 and
=altruism> on su&stantive a+is is similarl! linked with open;ended =standards> on the 3ormal
a+is4
I.DI/IDI+LIS1@ +LTRIIS1 +.D T%- I.D+1-.T+L C#.TR+DICTI#.
Kenned! asserts that individualism and altruism whi*h are pair opposites o3 3undamental
*ontradi*tion are parallel to ea*h other in their 3ailure to *onstru*t a *omprehensive rational
theor! o3 the 3orm and *ontent o3 the s!stem o3 private law5 &ut that5 despite this 3ailure5 the
two opposites live on and 3lourish4 <he individualisti* like the altruists do not a**ept the role
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Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
o3 the %udi*iar! as neutralD however the! ar"ue that %udi*ial passivit! and non;intervention is
rationall! intelli"i&le4 <he altruists on the other hand e+hi&it pre3eren*e 3or a*tivism5
assertin" that a %ud"e should resort to *ommunitarian5 paternalist and re"ulator! standards in
de*idin" *ases4
<he *lassi*al le"al thou"ht o3 individualist was to *onstru*t a le"al order throu"h dedu*tion
3rom li&eral premises5 as well as 3rom individualist moralit! and pra*ti*e4 <he same *an &e
said o3 altruism who e+hi&its a set o3 &asi* premises 7=or"ani*ist>; *olle*tivist5
*ommunitarian9 as the *orollar! to the li&eral premise o3 individualism whi*h resonates with
the assertions o3 altruism on a moral and pra*ti*al level4 <he two "roups> theoreti*al aspe*t5
pra*ti*al and moral dimensions ena&les us to understand the e+istin" 3undamental *on3li*t
&etween them4 Kenned! talks o3 a time when individualist revert to altruism and the altruist5
to avoid =total *olle*tivism or anar*hism> reverts to the rules and sel3;relian*e o3 the
individualist4
I.D+1-.T+L C#.TR+DICTI#.
<he stru*ture o3 the individualist so*ial order means the individuals *an intera*t onl! in one
or more o3 three wa!sI;
719 <he! *an i"nore one another and *ontinue within their respe*tive spheres o3 dis*retion5
ea*h as thou"h the other does not e+istD
729 <he! *an ne"otiate to esta&lish their rules o3 *ooperation when outside their spheres o3
dis*retion 8the! are rules intended onl! to make it possi&le 3or the parties to intera*t5
each 2ith a !ie2 to achie!ing their o2n indi!iduall) desired ends and/or5
739 Workin" within the rules so esta&lished5 the! *an a"ain i"nore one another5 &e*ause5 even
when *ooperatin"5 the! need not show an! *on*ern 3or the other or the ends pursued &!
the other5 as lon" as the! sta! within the ne"otiated rules4
#n individualisti* order eliminates the need to ne"otiate a&out values4 /n this wa! an
individualist order ma+imises 3reedom5 i3 3reedom is de3ined as the a&ilit! to de*ide 3or
onesel35 whi*h ends one will pursue4 <he altruist %usti*e5 Kenned! ar"ues5 seeks to a*hieve
*olle*tivism4 /t des*ri&es %usti*e as *onsistin" o3 =order a**ordin" to shared ends4> <he pursuit
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Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
o3 *olle*tivism *onditions altruist understandin" o3 the state and5 within it the %ud"e4 <rue
*olle*tivism shall mean that the state and %ud"e will &e*ome redundant5 &e*ause it will &e
unne*essar! to *oer*e people to a*t as thou"h the! live in &rotherhood4 ow that the state
and the %ud"e e+ist5 %ud"es should appl! moral norms throu"h %udi*ial standards as an
intermediate situation4 <his is &e*ause altruists attain the "oal when the! surmount their
alienation 3rom one another and share ends to su*h an e+tent that *ontin"en*! provides
o**asions 3or in"enuit! &ut never 3or dispute4
Contrar! to individualist altruism speaks meanin"3ull! a&out values4 /t denies &oth the
ar&itrariness and su&%e*tivit! o3 values4 #r&itrariness> denied &e*ause it holds that ends5 our
own and those o3 others5 are *onstantl! evolvin"5 pro"ressin" and retro"ressin" as evaluated
a"ainst the "oal o3 attainin" universal human &rotherhood4 <he law *an there3ore not &e
redu*ed to *ause and e33e*t5 lo"i* or the ar&itrar! impulses o3 the parti*ipant in it4 <he!
3urther ar"ue that the evolution o3 our own moral development is not *ontrolled &! us and
neither is it somethin" that we simpl! under"oI we parti*ipate in it4
<he 3undamental *ontradi*tions whi*h e+ist are altruists sometimes &e*ome individualists
and individualists> altruists when the! rea*h what the! *all sti*kin" point4 <he
a*knowled"ement o3 the *ontradi*tion shows that moral and politi*al *on3li*ts *annot
use3ull! &e anal!sed in terms o3 hi"her level *on*epts4 Kenned! 3urther ar"ues that it is
impossi&le to =&alan*e> altruist and individualist values a"ainst ea*h other in terms o3 some
e+ternal set o3 e@uita&le standards4
/ndividualist attitudes and rules as an e+pression o3 them remain in pla*e5 to a lar"e e+tent5
&e*ause there e+ists a whole s!stem o3 =*on*rete interests> the 3urtheran*e and *ontinued
e+isten*e o3 whi*h depends on them4 M+amples to that end have &een listed &! Kenned!D
law!ers e+ist onl! &e*ause rules e+istD %ud"es derive their authorit! and presti"e 3rom themD
those mem&ers o3 so*iet! who have mustered the rules or the lan"ua"e o3 rules *an suppress
others &e*ause o3 it5 or prosper as a resultD a*ademi*s &uild their *areers on des*ri&in" rules4
Kenned! ar"ues on this note that individualism is the stru*ture o3 maintainin" status @uo4
3$
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
<he sour*e o3 *ontradi*tion is the shorthand wa! in whi*h C0S s*holars make distin*t theses
a&out the *hara*ter o3 law4 <he! areI;
7i9 Fat*hwork thesis; it *ontends that le"al do*trine is an unprin*ipled pat*hwork o3
norms derivin" 3rom starkl! in*ompati&le ethi*al view point4 )n this view5
individualism and altruism "ive rise to the e+isten*e o3 distin*t do*trinal pat*hes
whi*h make up the 3a&ri* o3 the law4
7ii9 Du*k;ra&&it thesis; the law mi"ht look like a du*k 7individualisti*9 to some viewers
and like a ra&&it 7altruisti*9 to others4
7iii9 <run*ation thesis 8 *ontends that the prin*iples whi*h underlie le"al rules are not
*onsistentl! applied to all o3 the *ases over whi*h the! *laim moral authorit!4
T%- 4#LITICS # L+$ +.D T%- 4#LITICS # I.T-R4R-T+TI#.
<he traditional le"al thou"ht that %ud"es a*t in an o&%e*tive and neutral manner *arr!in" out
=the *ommand o3 the le"islature> or =the intention o3 the parties> has &een opposed &! the
C0S the! ar"ue that the %ud"e>s own moral values and ideolo"i*al assumptions inevita&l!
pla! a power3ul role4 #lthou"h le"al out*omes are not *onstrained &! le"al reasonin"5
%udi*ial *hoi*es are *onstrained in si"ni3i*ant wa!s &! =a variet! o3 phenomena that make up
the pro3essional *ulture within whi*h le"al de*ision;makin" takes pla*e4> 0e"al ar"ument and
reasonin" itsel3 mi"ht &e one o3 the primar! *onstraints on %udi*ial *hoi*e4 =/3 le"al
ar"uments *ant de*ide *ases5 the! ma! nevertheless have a power3ul impa*t on the wa! we
think a&out 7or5 more importantl!5 don>t think a&out9 le"al reasonin"4>
T%- CLS =-KT-R.+L CRITIJI-6 + .-$ #R1 # R+DIC+L 4#LITICS
C0S s*holars view the politi*al arran"ement in the Western So*ieties as impoverished to the
point that those so*ieties 3ail to live up to the demo*rati* and e"alitarian ideals to whi*h the!
purport to aspire4 <he C0S have thus wa"ed war a"ainst 0i&eralism emer"in" 3rom the
&elieve that the li&eral ideal o3 the rule o3 law is in*oherent5 and that li&eralism privile"es
undul! the position o3 the ru""ed5 atomised individual4 )n the se*ond 3ront5 the war a"ainst
Mar+ism stems 3rom C0S s*holars> dissatis3a*tion with the e*onomi* redu*tionism whi*h
*hara*terises the *lassi* Mar+ist te+ts4
3'
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
)n the politi*al spe*trum Gn"er proposes a stru*ture o3 so*ietal arran"ements in whi*h there
will &e *ontinuous de&ate over di33erent 3orms o3 so*ial li3e4 Gn"er ar"ues that *riti@ue o3
o&%e*tivit! in law opens up a sear*h 3or alternative 3orms o3 demo*ra*! and market4 Gn"er
e+plains that the ori"in5 *hara*ter and %usti3i*ation o3 the ideal so*iet! that inspires his
politi*al pro"ram arise 3rom the "eneral aims shared &! the "reat se*ular do*trines o3
eman*ipation o3 the re*ent past;li&eralism5 so*ialism5 and *ommunism4 6e ar"ues that the
weakenin" o3 so*ial divisions and hierar*hies would reveal deeper individual and *olle*tive
identities and li&erate produ*tive and *reative powers4 Fremisin" on the 3ore"oin" the ideal
so*iet! would at least have the 3ollowin" *hara*teristi*sI;
7i9 Contain the least *on3inin" 3orms o3 so*ial li3e4
7ii9 0i3e *han"es and li3e e+perien*es o3 the individual would &e in*reasin"l! 3reed 3rom
the t!rann! o3 a&stra*t so*ial *ate"ories4
7iii9 <he *ontrast &etween what a so*ial world in*orporates and what it e+*ludes5 &etween
routine and revolution5 would &e &roken down as mu*h as possi&leD the a*tive power
to remake and re;ima"ine the stru*ture o3 so*ial li3e would enter into the *hara*ter o3
ever! da! e+isten*e4
Gn"er>s e+ternal *riti@ue o3 li&eralism is thus related to the ideal o3 the radi*all! sel3;
revisionar! so*iet!5 on the one hand5 and o3 le"al do*trine as a means *onstantl! to *hallen"e
the sta&ilisation o3 divisions and hierar*hies5 on the other4
3,
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism
Aibliography and Re,erences
a9 6arris5 :4W45 0e"al philosophies5 2
nd
Mdition 7/nternational Student Mdition5 2utterworths5
0ondon Mdin&ur"h5 Du&lin5 1..74
&9 2ri+5 2rian :urispruden*eI <heor! and Conte+t Se*ond Mdition &! pu&lished in 1..7 &!
0ondon Sweet U Ma+well4
*9 1reeman M4D4#45 0lo!d>s /ntrodu*tion to :urispruden*e5 7
th
ed 5 0ondonI Steves U Sons5
20014
d9 Christie5 (4C45 U Martin5 F4 645 :urispruden*eI <e+t and Readin"s on the Fhilosoph! o3
0aw5 2
nd
Md45 St4 Faul5 Minn5 West Fu&lishin" Co45 1..'4
e9 Roederer5 C U Moellendor35 D45 :urispruden*e5 0andsdowne5 :uta U Co4 0td45 200,4
39 Readin"s 3rom =Gnderstandin" 0e"al Realism> &! 2en%amin 4 Cardo?o Fro3essor o3
0aw5 St4 :ohn>s Gniversit! S*hool o3 0aw availa&le at
httpI//www4ute+as4edu/law/%ournals/tlr/assets/ar*hive/v-7/issue$/tamanaha4pd3 and was
last a**essed on 7 :anuar! 200.4
"9 Readin"s o3 =<he new versus the old le"al realism Athin"s ain>t what the! used to &eE= &!
Stewart Ma*aula! availa&le at
httpI//prod4law4wis*4edu/3a*sta33/ma*aula!/papers/newTversusT*24pd3 and last a**essed
on 7 :anuar! 200.4
h9 (eo33re! Ma*Corma*k5 S*andinavian Realism5 11 :uridi*al Review5 1.705 p4 334
37
Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7
Realism