Notes de cours
Alle lessen Comparative Law
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- Comparative law
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- Universiteit Gent (UGent)
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Part 1: IntroductionAn overview of this introduction
- Learning objective: describe and situate subject of course (= ‘comparative law’)
- Learning material: specified reading in the reader (available on Ufora)
o ZWEIGERT & KÖTZ, ‘The Concept of Comparative Law’, pp. 1-12
o KOKKINI-IATRIDOU, ‘The Comparative Law’, p. 3-13
o DAVID, ‘Introduction’, in The Different Conceptions of the Law, p. 3-13
o GREEN, ‘Positivism, Realism, and Sources of Law’, 35 p.
- Overview of the lecture content:
o the concept of comparative law [slides 1-3]
o the research object [slides 1-4 → 1-6]
o the research methodology [slides 1-7 →1-9]
The concept of comparitive law
Comparison of law/ Legal comparison
it is NOT a
≠ body of law (objective law) or branch of law
≠ type of claim or specific power (subjective right)
≠ way of resolving conflicts compulsorily (functional law)
→ comparative law ≠ (type of) law
→ some designations are misleading:
- comparative law
- droit comparé (‘compared law’)
It is
= ‘an intellectual activity with law as its object and comparison as its process’
(ZWEIGERT-KÖTZ)
= a comparison (= research method) of law (= research object)
In some languages there is an overlap between the word that defines objective law, with what
defines subjective law
This overlap is not a historical mistake
Reasons: it’s something that we pass over quicky
- subjective right: objective law English: law vs right
you have a right to something and this right to something is given to you because
there is a subjective law
1
,comparative law in itself is not an objective law, bcs it is not a bunch of law or a system of
knowledge itself
comparative law is not part of the system
it is something that places you as an observer from outside of the legal system
it has more to do with legal theory, jurisprudence, …
its not part of the legal system in itself
comparative law is not the conflicts of laws
it sounds as if it were a specific branch of the law, but it’s not
comparative law is never about ONE legal order more than one
we need to put in to contact 2 legal orders
ex. You all are entering into contracts with companies who are placed international
most of it is regulated by international law, but also European law, international
conventions, … vb. Data protection cross border transactions. You’re putting into contact
many legal orders.
You’re going to engage in an element which is foreign
You have to look at it as being an intellectual activity process, interaction, activity into
which you are engaging
NOT a branch of law, …
Why comparative law? Historical reasons
Early 1900
Most of the times questions of language (semantics) are not only superficial you can’t
replace law in a different language, we don’t really have a clear common language across
legal systems, across legal orders. That you speak foreign is not always the same.
Many concepts in law which are in Dutch, but are essentially German.
Ex. Contract English, French, Italian, Dutch, … describes something that looks similar,
but they are quite different. It could be easy.
We don’t have one legal grammar
- obstacle
- part of enrichment various way of thinking
law is a science. As a science law has methods.
What could make law essentially scientific is comparison. Comparison being the method
which enables law to achieve its scientific steps.
2
,It is comparative law which is the best method.
Basically by comparing the law, we are moving away from our national legal knowledge.
Legal phenomenon: a variety of force.
Once you step out of Belgian law, we’re going to realize that there is not only a law which is
specific to Belgian (or French, or German, …) law, but to law as such.
History of the discipline
1900’s International convention of comparative legislation
The world was going in the direction of progress.
There was this idea of progress and that progress can be achieved trough science. Many
people believed that law can be a science and perhaps the most important part for it to be a
science is comparative law as a matter.
There is something specific to the law which is not determination.
What is specific to a law, regardless the national legal orders.
People believed in science before WO I
After WO I science was questioned (was used mainly for ballistics)
Law couldt be understood better, by the opening to other legal systems.
After WO II believe in progress started to be questioned more.
1945: the idea of comparative law more pragmatic approach.
Understanding other legal systems (finding universal aspects of the law)
There are some barriers which are connecting us as human beings
Science as a discourse on reality science is not reality as such. It’s just a way to represent
reality in a organized matter. The way that we’re organizing this discourse is determined by
reason. enables us to see what is reason, are the scientific matters
OR existence of a scientific community
Comparison: what law is in humanity different law, different communities
The only way in which law can be a science (there are rules to compare)
Science: a form of organized knowledge
Because it is an intellectual activity based on research methods
Object of research = the law
wat are we comparing? (next slide)
3
, The research object: what is law?
Importance of the question
- what can/may be compared to give meaningful result?
- what must be included in comparison to give meaningful result?
main problem: we don’t really know what we compare
what do we do? When do we start the comparison and when do we end?
What do we compare? Law therefor we can’t escape the question ‘what is law?’ no
answer, but guidelines
what is law? Before comparison
ex. comparing the decision of the supreme court of the US vs supreme court UK, and you
think that law is politics
ex. legal realist: hate law: all law is bad you want to engage in an comparison by
comparing a specific law and de Nazi law to show that they are both evil.
It has something to do with (the politics of) power
Law = ‘set of rules ordering society’ = hollow description (moral rules, religious rules, …)
How? Jurisprudence
- law = Sollen (an ought) v. law = Sein (a being - is)
- law belongs to the world of ideas v. law belongs to the world of social facts
- legal positivism: a rule ‘exists’ if it is valid = as promulgated/recognised by
real/authorised ruler (law is posited) = as based on higher norm or formal source of
law (all law is source-based)
- sociological positivism (= legal realism): a rule exists if it appears enforced
- law as practice v. law as theoretical representation of practice (= doctrine- teaching)
- law as enforced settlement of conflicts:
o by government
o by third party (to conflict)
o by any means (ie all conflict resolution, incl. conciliation, ‘right of the
strongest’)
Natural theory of law
there was a period of time where the most influential definition of law was ‘law is that which
is ought’
connection between law & religion universality there is something out there because
there is reason. difference between the law as reason and the law of the king.
Reason: we can discover is. And if something goes against reason, than it goes against the
law. What you discover as being the law vs what people are putting as being the law.
4
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