Author(s):  
Corrado Roversi

Are legal institutions artifacts? If artifacts are conceived as entities whose existence depends on human beings, then yes, legal institutions are, of course, artifacts. But an artifact theory of law makes a stronger claim, namely, that there is actually an explanatory gain to be had by investigating legal institutions as artifacts, or through the features of ordinary artifacts. This is the proposition explored in this chapter: that while this understanding of legal institutions makes it possible to find common ground between legal positivism and legal realism, it does not capture all of the insights offered by these two traditions. An artifact theory of law can therefore be necessary in explaining the law, but it will not suffice to that end. This chapter also posits that legal artifacts bear a relevant connection to certain conceptions of nature, thus vindicating one of the original insights behind natural law theory.


1994 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
pp. 602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard F. Devlin

In this essay, the author briefly outlines recent trends in Canadian jurisprudence. Beginning with a brief overview of the classical jurisprudential debate between natural lawyers, legal positivists, and legal realists, the author then provides an introduction to a new theoretical tradition which he terms "Artifactualism", as well as a survey of contemporary "Artifactualist Jurisprudence". He argues that there has been a significant theoretical shift away from the classical conceptualization of law as morality (as embodied in natural law, and challenged by legal positivism and legal realism), toward the conceptualization of law as politics (as promulgated by artifactualism). This new conceptualization of law as the "terrain of struggle over the meaning and quality of social existence" has informed the works of Artifactualist jurisprudents in the areas of Liberalism, Marxism, Feminism, First Nations and Critical Legal Studies, and serves to elucidate some of the tensions in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.


Author(s):  
Jens Zimmermann

‘Hermeneutics and law’ begins with natural law in Greco-Roman culture and God’s moral law of Christendom. It then explains legal positivism as espoused by John Austin (1790–1859) and the more democratic ideal of Herbert L. A. Hart (1907–92). For Hart, society operates two sets of legal rules: primary rules that tell us not to steal or not to kill, and secondary rules ‘of recognition’ by which primary positive law is recognized and applied in a regulated manner. Critics of legal positivism—legal realism and natural law—are discussed, before concluding that a legal judgment involves more than the mere application of rules. To judge is to interpret.


2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Priel ◽  
Charles L. Barzun
Keyword(s):  

IUSTA ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (37) ◽  
Author(s):  
JAIME ALBERTO SANDOVAL MESA

<p>ResumenEl presente artículo analiza el principio de legalidad a partir de su evolución en las corrientes del iusnaturalismoy sus consecuencias en el establecimiento de derechos y garantías de los delitos, las penas yun juicio justo, al igual que en el establecimiento de la primacía de la ley en el positivismo. Igualmentese analiza el aporte que da a la legalidad la sociología jurídica del realismo jurídico anglosajón y de lasgarantías de los derechos humanos. Estos últimos dan prevalencia a los contenidos materiales de la norma en un nuevo escenario internacional que exige al derecho interno mayores compromisos en materia dejusticia efectiva y persecución de crímenes internacionales y delitos derivados de fenómenos de criminalidadtransnacional. Esto último es lo que se ha denominado en el presente texto como “supralegalidadcontemporánea”.</p><p>Palabras clave: legalidad penal, iusnaturalismo, positivismo, derechos fundamentales, derechos humanos,crímenes internacionales, supralegalidad, principio universal, crimen transnacional.</p><p>AbstractThis article analyzes the principle of legality from its evolution in the stream of natural law and its impacton the establishment of rights and guarantees of the offenses, penalties and a fair trial, as well as on theestablishment of the primacy of the law in positivism. It also analyzes the contribution given to legality bythe legal sociology of Anglo-Saxon legal realism and human rights guarantees. The latter give predominanceto the contents of the standard materials in a new international law requiring the largest commitmentsto justice and effective prosecution of international crimes and crimes arising from transnational crimephenomena. The latter is what has been referred to in this text as “contemporary supralegality”.</p><p>Keywords: criminal law, natural law, positivism, fundamental rights, human rights, international crimes,supralegality, universal principle, transnational crime.</p><p>Resumo:Este artigo analisa o princípio da legalidade de sua evolução nos córregos da lei natural e seu impacto sobreo estabelecimento de direitos e garantias dos crimes, penas e um julgamento justo, como no estabelecimentodo primado da lei no positivismo. Também analisa a contribuição que dá legalidade da sociologiajurídica anglo-saxônica do realismo jurídico e garantias dos direitos humanos. O último dar predominânciaao conteúdo dos materiais padrão em uma nova lei internacional que exige maiores compromissos coma justiça e repressão efetiva dos crimes internacionais e os crimes resultantes de fenómenos criminaistransnacionais. O último é o que tem sido referido neste texto como “supralegality contemporânea”.</p><p>Palavras-chave: criminais lei, o direito natural, o positivismo, direitos fundamentais, direitos humanos,crimes internacionais, supralegality, princípio universal, o crime transnacional.</p>


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