seminar 7- realism, critical legal theory

8/11/2019 Seminar 7- Realism, Critical Legal Theory

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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(("a ) G62/77610 /09

S!--% Nara%3# A-ra ) G62/76760/09

G$4-r! Na"5-a O"#.- ) G62/76*77/09

'a% Ca!-r%- 'a!a"4 ) G62/77070/09


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Seminar 7: Legal Realism/Critical Legal Theory


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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 bySu&%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

Presentation by Group 7: Jurisprudence - Seminar 7

Realism


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Contents

1 ntrodu*tion

2 e"al ormalism

3 e"al realism

$ S*andinavian Realism

' Criti*al e"al Studies

, i&lio"raph! and Reeren*es


Realism


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Introduction

)ne *an "et a sense o le"al realism rom titles o 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

e"al realism is a la&el "iven to a "roup o #meri*an le"al theorists in the 1.20s5 1.30s and

1.$0s who *hallen"ed the ideas o le"al reasonin" and ad%udi*ation dominant in %udi*ial and

le"al a*ademi* writin" at the time4

Mu*h o the work o the le"al realists *an &e ound in the work o )liver Wendell 6olmes 1-$1

8 1.3'9 who pu&lished the *ommon law in 1--15 :erome rank 1--.;1.'795 :ohn Chipman

(ra! 1-3.;1.1'9 and Karl lewell!n 1-.3;1.,29 amon"st others4 We shall dis*uss their

*ontri&ution later4 to mean &ein" realisti* or at least &ein" worldl! or

perhaps &ein" *!ni*al4


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Legal ormalism

&! whi*h it was meant that the ar"ument was presented as i the *on*lusion

ollowed simpl! rom undenia&le premises14 and not &! ratio*inationE and later uses deli&erative

a*ulties Anot onl! to %usti! that intuition to himsel5 &ut to make it pass muster4E $Ferhaps to

illustrate this state o ormalism is the %ugar Trust case&4s power to re"ulate interstate *ommer*e5 however

o&vious it mi"ht seem that a *ompan!>s *ontrollin" .-H o the nation>s su"ar reinin" *apa*it!

mi"ht have impli*ations or interstate *ommer*e in that "ood4


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there are pra*ti*e related5 so*ial and institutional a*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 laws5 limitations and openness o the law whi*h *an

manipulate the law4


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Legal realism

4


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law114 6e &elieved as he wrote to Williams :ames in 1-,-5 that Alaw as well as an! other series o

a*ts in this world ma! &e approa*hed in the interests o s*ien*eE4 or him5 too5 le"al histor! was

to &e studied primaril! as a irst step towards a deli&erate re*onsideration o the worth o

*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! deended 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 o 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!

reviewed124

6olmes o law as5 a predi*tion pla*ed &oth liti"ation and the proessional law!ers in the *entre o

le"al sta"e4 6is emphasis on what *ourts ma! do5 rather than an a&stra*t lo"i*al dedu*tion rom

"eneral rules and on the inarti*ulate ideolo"i*al premises whi*h ma! underlie the de*isions o the

*ourts5 o*used as *ensor o le"islation and de*idin" what were ee*tivel! politi*al issues5 the

diver"en*e o le"al rules and de*isions in dierent states and even in the same state or *ourt and

the lar"e e+tent to whi*h #meri*an *ourts were maniestl! en"a"ed in the pro*ess o "eneratin"

new law and the vast *on"eries o *ourt involvin" a numerous %udi*iar!5 man! o whom were

ele*ted politi*ians and o var!in" *ali&er5 all these matters seemed to lend or*e to 6olmes

vi"orous insisten*e on a resh and more empiri*al attitude to the le"al pro*ess4 6is %ud"ement in

the o*hner and #&rams *ases were thou"ht to point the wa! to a more rational and s*ientii*

appli*ation o the *onstitution to the a*tual so*ial needs o a hi"hl! industriali?ed so*iet!4

!"& 'arl Llewellyn


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*onsistin" not onl! o a &od! o rules or"ani?ed around *on*epts and permeated &! a lar"e

num&er o prin*iples4 n addition there are *ertain ela&orated te*hni@ues su*h as the use o

pre*edent and over and a&ove all these matters in an ideolo"!5 *onsistin" o a &od! o ar

rea*hin" values and ideals whi*h thou"h to a lar"e e+tent impli*it rather than e+pressl! avowed

ma! nevertheless orm an immensel! inluential part o the institution o 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

ee*tivel! *arried out4 un*tionin" institution is somethin" whi*h is rooted in the lie o the

*ommunit! and has to *onstantl! tested &! the needs o that *ommunit! and moreover5 and the

results o its workin" have to &e opened to in@uir!4 Mu*h o lewell!n>s has &een *entered upon

what he *alls the wa!s in whi*h various t!pes o *ommunit! the Alaw;%o&E are a*tuall! *arried

out4

Aaw;%o&s5E are lewell!n>s wa! o des*ri&in" the &asi* un*tions o the law5 whi*h5 or him5 are

two;oldI Ato make "ood survival possi&le5E &ut additionall! to @uest or %usti*e ei*ien*! and

ri*her lie4


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re@uired &! his theor! or is it merel! an ineren*e drawn rom lewell!n>s e+perien*e o

*omple+ %ud"e;oriented *ommon law s!stemL

The common law tradition

n lewell!n>s &ook5 the *ommon law tradition5 he develops an idea o *rat as applied to the

%uristi* method o the *ommon law4 6e points out that the proession in #meri*a is e+*eedin"l!

worried &e*ause it is &elieved that the *ourts have moved awa! rom a &asis o a sta&le de*ision

makin" in avour o de*idin" *ases on the &asis o their sentiments and then simpl! or e+;post

a*to %ustii*ation in their %ud"ements4

6e ar"ues that there is a lar"e measure o predi*ta&ilit! in *ase law and this he attri&utes to the

"eneral *rat o de*ision makin" in the *ommon law tradition4 6e sa!s there are *luster a*tors

whi*h tend to have stead!in" inluen*e in produ*in" sta&ilit! in the work o the *ourts whi*h

in*lude law 8 *onditioned oi*ials5 known do*trinal te*hni@ues5 the limitin" o issues5 the

adversar! ar"uments o *ounsel et*4

!"( )erome ran*

rank points out that te+t 8 &ook approa*h whi*h treats law as no more than a *olle*tion o

a&stra*t rules5 is "rossl! misleadin" and that mu*h o le"al un*ertaint! is inherent and not due to

m!stii*ation4 ut it must &e said that rank adds little to his *ontention &! *urious ae*tion or

an implausi&le appli*ation o ps!*ho 8 anal!sis where&! he seeks to attri&ute the sear*h or le"al

*ertaint! to the need or a ather i"ure5 the inalli&le %ud"e5 nor &! his relian*e on the prin*iple

o indetermina*! in the modern ph!si*s as showin" the impossi&ilit! o attainin" *ertaint! in the

le"al sphere4

6e took a more radi*al position that the le"al phrases and *on*epts alone do not "et us to a

de*ision and we are oolin" ourselves and the pu&li* i we sa! the! do4

6e *riti*i?ed lewell!n that he was a rule skepti*4 6e meant that i rules are *lear as to

interpretation5 in lower *ourts the! ma! have pre*ious little determinin" ee*t on de*isions

.


Realism


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&e*ause a tri&unal o a*t5 parti*ularl! a %ur! *an alwa!s ind the a*ts as it pleases so that a rule

will "ive de*isions it want1$4


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Realism and the Courts

#t the time o realist atta*k5 %udi*ial de*ision makin" was per*eived as me*hani*al4


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women>s lives in a*tories5 the randeis &rie &! hi"hli"htin" so*ial and e*onomi* realit!

su""ested that the trou&le with e+istin" law was that it was out o tou*h with that realit!214

#s illustrated in the ollowin" *ase the *ourt interpreted the rule in li"ht to the *ir*umtan*es

o&tainin" at the time 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


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+chievements o, legal realism

e"al realism has a num&er o impli*ations as e+plained &elowI

a9 e"al realism %ustiies :udi*ial and aw reorm4 or 6olmes a stron" &eliever in %udi*ial

restraint in %ud"es deerrin" to le"islative de*isions and ollowin" pre*edent stri*tl!9 this

was an ar"ument or le"islative *han"e o old *ommon law rules4


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Criticisms

s it a valid *riti*ism o the realists that the! i"nore the purel! normative *hara*ter o le"al rules

and seek to repla*e those &! s*ientii* statements la!in" down uniormit! o human *ondu*tL

e"al rules are norms *ondu*t whi*h are in themselves neither true nor alse4 Jet the realists

seem to &e seekin" to prove their truth or alsit! in relation to the *riteria o a*tual human

&ehavior4 s a le"itimate ield o in@uir! in its sel4


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an"dellian %urispruden*e that the protestant Reormers o the 1' thand 1,th*enturies proposed to

a&andon the &asi* tenets o Christian theolo"!4 Realists *on*lude Kalman pointed to the role o

idios!n*ras! in law4 Whilst retainin" a &elie in the rule o law4 #**ordin"l! the! attempt to

make it more ei*ient and more *ertain4 #nd so she ar"ues that the! ailed to *onront their own

most arrestin" that all law is politi*s4

6orwit? ar"ues that the most important le"a*! o realism as its *hallen"e to the orthodo+ *laim

that le"al thou"ht was separated and autonomous rom moral and politi*al dis*ourse4


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Fhilosopher5 4ro," +5el %agerstrom1-,-;1.3.9 rom whom S*andinavian realism derives

its inspirationI and its most prominent theorists were +l, Ross 1-..;1.7.95 'arl

#livecrona1-.7;1.-095 and +"" Lundstedt1--2;1.''94

Scandinavian realism&! its ver! nature identiies the law with psychological occurrences

i4e45the sensation produced in people6s minds as a result o, legal words"(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 a*t5

emphasises the stran"eness o the lan"ua"e5 the m!sti*al or ma"i*al histori*al and perhaps

present9 &asis o mu*h o our le"al lan"ua"e4 Mu*h o the work o the S*andinavian le"al

realists attempts to translate reeren*es to Ari"htsE5 AdutiesE and Apropert!E to more empiri*al

terms4 A

8b9 Scandinavian theorists6 thesis

8!9 +5el %agerstrom 8!;3! elements in others> theories4 ndeed5 mu*h o his work in*ludes a critic

o, the errors o, 2uristic thought in +ustin6s command theoryand su*h *on*epts as will

o, the stateand ,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 e5ists or su*h talk must assume that there is some non;

Fact !nd ed, Ste(ensonDs, London, 191). "t is e(idence that Scandina(ian law is lesscodiFed than &ost o. Europe Countries#/@arris, J6, Le%al Ahilosophies, Butterworths, London, Edinbur%h, ublin, 199, !ndEd, p1/##1"bid note 1#, p +

1,


Realism


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natural sense in whi*h thin"s *ould e+ist and thereore 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" , p 1/-##"bid

17


Realism


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special psychological e,,ectiveness4 # le"al provision *ontains two elements an idea o,

an actione4"45 =stealin">95 and some imperative symbol=ou"ht>5 =dut!>5 oen*e>94 The

provision itsel, is 2ust words on paper4 to whi*h =s*ientii*> dis*ourse a&out

law must *orrespond *onsists o 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 o 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 o *ause and ee*t5 and this is onl! possi&le i the! are understood

as psychological phenomena" 6e envisa"es a so*iet! in whi*h it is elt desira&le &! those

in power to make some new orm o a*tivit! the su&%e*t o prohi&ition4 Rules will &e

promul"ated or&iddin" the *ondu*t in @uestion5 *oupled with the threat o san*tions4

nitiall!5 those to whom the prohi&itions are dire*ted will *al*ulate5 on ea*h o**asion o

temptation5 whether the "ains o diso&edien*e are worth the risk o san*tion4 ut the

human personalit! *annot withstand *onstant warrin" &etween temptation and ear 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 or the a*tual threat o or*e4 6e ar"ues that this is how most o

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 urther ar"ues that law and or*e are asso*iated in two wa!sI

1-


Realism


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a9 aw "ains its initial ps!*holo"i*al hold5 and rom time to time stren"thens the hold it

has5 &! the appli*ation o san*tions4

&9 idea in a person>s mind is eviden*e that he5 or his ore&ears5 must

have repressed the temptation to perorm an a*t so as to &e ree o the ear o san*tionsL

#nother *ritism o S*andinavian realism relates to the operation o, law on the

intellectual level4 ven i it is true that le"al rules a*hieve ee*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 o *iti?ensL

8(9 +l, Ross 8!


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knows that5 in the %udi*ial mind5 the! will set o sensations o *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 urther ar"ues that i when one sa!s that there is a valid rule one intends to sa! thatsome entit! independent o the world o time and spa*e =e+ists> and has some non;natural

@ualit! o =&indin"ness>5 one is talkin" meanin"less metaph!si*s as the realists have

shown4 ut i5 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 o %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 Scandinavianrealists@ is speci,ically court3centred"

#s has stated a&ove5 he emphasi?es the normative character o, legal propositions&ut

pre,ers the term directives or Buasi 3commands3, to )live*rona>s Aindependent

imperatives46e points out that a distin*tion must &e drawn &etween two kinds o le"al

knowled"e5 i4e45 the law a*tuall! in or*e e4"45 statute law9 and senten*es in the te+t &ooks

i4e45 where the law in a statute is stated94


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ps!*holo"i*al point o view5 i4e45 le"al rules are rules a&out the e+er*ise o or*e and as

su*h dire*ted to oi*ials4 37 re@uired to determine the e+isten*e o rules o

law4 6e a**epts )live*rona>s =psychological realism6"

Ross has not limited himsel to a purel! &ehaviouristi* interpretation o %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 o his

=ideological6 or =spiritual li,e6"


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#s with 6art5 the e+ternal aspe*t o law is des*ri&ed as the outwardl! o&serva&le and

re"ular *omplian*e with a pattern o a*tion4 ut sa!s that there must &e a eelin" o

*ompulsion to o&serve the &ehaviour pres*ri&ed what he des*ri&es as an> e+perien*e o

validit!>4

whi*h has to result rom 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"

$9 +nders ilhelm Lundstedt1--2 8 1.''9

6e was a Swedish le"al philosopher5 parti*ularl! known as a proponent o S*andinavian

le"al realism5havin" &een inluen*ed &! his *ompatriot #+el 6N"erstrOm4 6e studied aw

at und Gniversit!and was a proessor o law at the Gniversit! o Gppsala rom 1.1$ to

1.'24 :ust as 6N"erstrOm and #l Ross5 he resists the e+position o ri"hts as metaph!si*al

entities4


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6a"erstrom dismisses attempts that have &een made to dis*over the empiri*al &asis o a

ri"ht as unsu**essul &! statin" thatI Athe a*tual &asis we are seekin" *annot &e ound P

either in prote*tion "uaranteed 3- or the *ommand issued3.&! an e+ternal authorit!A4 6e

states that the =idea> has nothin" to do with realit! its *ontent is some kind o

supernatural power with re"ard to thin"s and persons4 ts *ontent is some kind o

supernatural power with re"ard to the thin"s and persons4 6e sou"ht a ps!*holo"i*al

e+planation5 and ound it in the eelin" o stren"th and power asso*iated with the

*onvi*tion o possessin" a ri"htI one ,ights better i, he ,elt that he has a right on his

sideE"

29 Legal language8

6a"erstrom made e+tensive studies o (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 urther 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

5 that is prepositions in imperative

orm as opposed to statements o a*t9 &ut not issuin"5 like *ommands5 rom parti*ular

#+ The sate only steps in i. the ri%ht o. the property is (iolated, so ri%ht o. property isprereHuisite o. protection#9 Aowers to sell or trans.er cannot be explained as .actual basis o. a ri%ht

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Realism


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persons4 #**ordin" to )live*rona law Ae+istsE onl! in the sense that words are to &e

ound written on pie*es o paper5 or stored or present in human minds or memories and

the real si"nii*an*e o these words is merel! in the a*tual *ir*umstan*es that these are a

link in the *hain o *ausation produ*in" *ertain *auses o &ehaviour on the part o the

human &ein"s4 n other words #livecronaadopts the causal theory o, language" or

e+ample5 he distin"uishes two t!pes o le"al lan"ua"eI te*hni*al or hallow9 and per

ormative4 whi*h torn rom their *onte+t

these Ala&elsE ma! inluen*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 or a*hievin" a parti*ular purpose

e4"4 a*hievin" so*ial welare9 in the same wa! as en"ineers or sailors have re*o"ni?ed

pro*edures or *onstru*tin" navi"ation4

urther he states that i a law!er ar"ues that &e*ause o a *ertain rule Aa le"al dut! is

imposed5 this amounts to supportin" a metaph!si*al or normative link whi*h no amount

o o&servation *an esta&lish as a a*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 rom rules o law4

Lundstedt anal!sis o R)land$s ! Fletcherwas 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 or *ases in

whi*h somethin" dan"erous es*aped rom land4


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Despite the re%e*tion o metaph!si*s5 )live*rona still en"a"es in a sear*h or the

*hara*teristi* eatures o law4 or him these are dis*erned in *ertain a*tual

*ir*umstan*es5 *onne*ted with a de #actoor"ani?ation o persons5 the state whi*h read!

to appl! the laws and whi*h possess a monopol! o or*e this purpose4$1

8G9 Law and morals"

Can legislation make mores? s morals would under"o a proound *han"e4

hat came !irst" law or morals?Some morals su*h as relatin" to murder or thet date

&a*k to su*h an earl! period that it is dii*ult to disentan"le le"al5 moral a reli"ious

de*rees4 6owever5 at an! parti*ular sta"e o 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 o moral standards is unthinka&le save in a *ontent o an

e+istin" le"al s!stem with or*e re"ularl! applied to maintain at least &asi* standards o

so*ial *ondu*t4 6owever5 this dierent rom assertions that ever! moral *han"e is derived

rom the law4

8;9 Legal Ideology ? The method o, 2ustice vs" Social wel,are"

undstedt asserts that all other %urists save himsel5 )live*rona and 6a"erstrom have

ollowed the le"al ideolo"! or the method o %usti*e4 ollowin" the method o %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 o %usti*e to

-1The (iew that law consist o. rules about .orce is to be ascribe to =elsen (iew

2'


Realism


28/39

develop the law and to ill "aps in the le"al s!stem4 %urispruden*e has to work pra*ti*all! on the h!pothesis o *ertain so*ial

evaluations su*h as that le"al a*tivities are indispensi&le rom the e+isten*e o so*iet!

and that their aim is to produ*e the most ri*tionless un*tionin" o the le"al ma*hiner!4

6ow does undstedt or instant dier rom ethamite or the Foundian approa*hL 6e

asserts that he pro*eeds not on an ideolo"i*al &asis5 e4"4 seekin" or A%usti*e> &ut solel! on

so*ial welare method5 i4e45 on people as the! are a*tuall! *onstituted4 So*ial welare

a**ordin"l! means the wa! o lie and aspirations that people a*tuall! attain and not what

the! ou"ht to strive or4

undstedt>s view on *riminal law and punishment are in line with his views on so*ial

welare4 6e ur"es that the individual *ase must &e seen rom the perspe*tive o the

interest o so*iet! as opposed to individuali?in" treatment5 a &eliever rather in "eneral

prevention penalties are to &reakdown the *riminal that the potential oender ears

punishment is a su&ordinate a*tor what is important is that *riminal law appeals to pu&li*

moralit!4 or law to &e ee*tive he ur"es that it must inluen*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*e4

undstedt *asti"ates Found>s =%ural postulates> as nothin" more than phrase heaped upon

phrase without indin" an! line o thou"ht4 6owever5 he ails to see that his own

ar"uments are not e@uall! arior as the! are drawn not rom so*iolo"i*al resear*h5 &ut

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evaluations with that i Found dis*usses law5 in *omplete a&stra*tion rom our e+perien*e

o it so is the ormulation o the so*ial welare method4 t is true that in natural and an!

other s*ien*e5 h!potheses are onl! availa&le as ar as the! *an &e tested a"ainst veriia&le

o&servation4


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Critical Legal Theory *hallen"es and overturns a**epted norms and standards in le"al

theor! and pra*ti*e4$,Some o 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 o le"al disputes4 or e+ample the in the appli*a&ilit!

o a statute or de*ided *ase do not ne*essaril! lead to a parti*ular de*ision in a "iven

parti*ular *ase4

httpI//topi*s4law4*ornell4edu/we+/Criti*alTle"alTtheor!(isited on 1


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whom the! asso*iated with the Cold War and unwillin"ness to take the steps ne*essar! to

re*ti! ra*ial and wealth ine@ualities4'3


32/39

Criti*al le"al s*holars have urther shown that &asi* assumptions underl!in" and

*onditionin" the development o do*trinal ields5 rather than merel! the do*trinal ields

themselves are *ontin"ent rather than ne*essar!5 representin" =*hoi*es o one set o values

over another4

6istori*al *ontin"en*! o law and on the role o histori*al transient modes o le"al reasonin"

in shapin" law introdu*es an important urther theme o the CS movement; it =serves as an

appropriate prelude to proposals or the radi*al transormation o &asi* institutions and

su""ests potential or the re*onstru*tion o the present order4>

D#CTRI.+L CRITIJ-S

Criti*al e"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 reedom o *ontra*t5 and propert! *an

"round *ontradi*tor! ar"uments in an! *ase4 6owever CS dier rom Realists &!

emplo!in" these te*hni@ues at a hi"her level o 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 rom 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 o the so*ial world4

4#LITIC+L TR+DITI#.

Criti*al le"al s*holars re%e*t Realism>s le"a*! o so*ial en"ineerin" and li&eral reorm and

throu"h their *riti@ue pursue a politi*al vision o =parti*ipator! demo*ra*!5 *ivi*

repu&li*anism or de*entralised so*ialism4 Criti*al le"al s*holars oten use the e+pli*ation o

le"al te+ts throu"h the interpretive te*hni@ues o dis*iplines other than law to stud! le"al

phenomena in a wa! dierent rom mere do*trinal ela&oration4 Certain streams in literar!

*riti*ism e4"4 radi*al s*epti*ism a&out the plain meanin" o 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


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and pro*esses without reinor*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 s desire to

parti*ipate in *ommunit! lie or the value o an institutional ramework that s!stemati*all!

redu*es e*onomi* ine@ualities>; and so su""ests *on*rete transormation o parti*ular ields

in law or parti*ular le"al institutions4

Fure *riti*ism whi*h is the *onstant demonstration o indetermina*!5 in*oheren*e and

*ontradi*tion i in*essantl! en"a"ed in would *hallen"e the *ompla*en*! o mainstream

le"al s*holars a&out their natural ne*essit! o their &asi* assumptions5 per*eived naturalness

o the *urrent so*ial order5 and would point out the inei*ien*!5 *lass;&ias and the

undetermined nature o the *urrent le"al do*trines4

T%- CRITIC+L L-0+L STDI-S =I.T-R.+L CRITIJ-6 T%-

C#.TR+DICTI#.S $IT%I. L-0+L T%#0%T"

nternal *riti@ue is intended to reer to that element o CS5 whi*h lie em&edded in li&eral9

le"al thou"ht whereas e+ternal *riti@ue reers to a dierent strand o CS whi*h adoptin" a

deta*hed perspe*tive removed rom the *onines le"al do*trine has attempted to sket*h the

outlines o an alternative politi*al ramework or the institutional or"anisation o modern

so*iet!4 CS takes as its startin" point the indetermina*! ar"ument4


34/39

t ollows rom 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 o matters o

so*ial poli*!4 CS ar"ues that the indetermina*! o le"al do*trines are as a result o the a*t

that le"al institutions are undamentall! divided over an appropriate vision or politi*al lie4

s own interest over those o others4 )n the ormal 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 ormulation so as to eliminate dis*retion on

the part o the de*ision;maker4 Whereas a standard is a prin*iple or poli*! whi*h *oners

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

a*ts4 Kenned! ar"ues that there is an e+isten*e o a kind o theoreti*al matri+ in whi*h

=individualism> on the su&stantive a+is is linked with ri"id =rules> on the ormal a+is5 and

=altruism> on su&stantive a+is is similarl! linked with open;ended =standards> on the ormal

a+is4

I.DIID+LIS1@ +LTRIS1 +.D T%- .D+1-.T+L C#.TR+DICTI#.

Kenned! asserts that individualism and altruism whi*h are pair opposites o undamental

*ontradi*tion are parallel to ea*h other in their ailure to *onstru*t a *omprehensive rational

theor! o the orm and *ontent o the s!stem o private law5 &ut that5 despite this ailure5 the

two opposites live on and lourish4


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o the %udi*iar! as neutral however the! ar"ue that %udi*ial passivit! and non;intervention is

rationall! intelli"i&le4 theoreti*al aspe*t5

pra*ti*al and moral dimensions ena&les us to understand the e+istin" undamental *onli*t

&etween them4 Kenned! talks o a time when individualist revert to altruism and the altruist5

to avoid =total *olle*tivism or anar*hism> reverts to the rules and sel;relian*e o the

individualist4

.D+1-.T+L C#.TR+DICTI#.


36/39

o *olle*tivism *onditions altruist understandin" o the state and5 within it the %ud"e4


37/39

or =the intention o the parties> has &een opposed &! the

CS the! ar"ue that the %ud"e>s own moral values and ideolo"i*al assumptions inevita&l!

pla! a powerul role4 #lthou"h le"al out*omes are not *onstrained &! le"al reasonin"5

%udi*ial *hoi*es are *onstrained in si"nii*ant wa!s &! =a variet! o phenomena that make up

the proessional *ulture within whi*h le"al de*ision;makin" takes pla*e4> e"al ar"ument and

reasonin" itsel mi"ht &e one o the primar! *onstraints on %udi*ial *hoi*e4 = le"al

ar"uments *ant de*ide *ases5 the! ma! nevertheless have a powerul impa*t on the wa! we

think a&out or5 more importantl!5 don>t think a&out9 le"al reasonin"4>

T%- CLS =-KT-R.+L CRITIJ-6 + .-$ #R1 # R+DIC+L 4#LITICS

CS s*holars view the politi*al arran"ement in the Western So*ieties as impoverished to the

point that those so*ieties ail to live up to the demo*rati* and e"alitarian ideals to whi*h the!

purport to aspire4 dissatisa*tion with the e*onomi* redu*tionism whi*h

*hara*terises the *lassi* Mar+ist te+ts4

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)n the politi*al spe*trum Gn"er proposes a stru*ture o so*ietal arran"ements in whi*h there

will &e *ontinuous de&ate over dierent orms o so*ial lie4 Gn"er ar"ues that *riti@ue o

o&%e*tivit! in law opens up a sear*h or alternative orms o demo*ra*! and market4 Gn"er

e+plains that the ori"in5 *hara*ter and %ustii*ation o the ideal so*iet! that inspires his

politi*al pro"ram arise rom the "eneral aims shared &! the "reat se*ular do*trines o

eman*ipation o the re*ent past;li&eralism5 so*ialism5 and *ommunism4 6e ar"ues that the

weakenin" o 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 ore"oin" the ideal

so*iet! would at least have the ollowin" *hara*teristi*sI;

i9 Contain the least *oninin" orms o so*ial lie4

ii9 ie *han"es and lie e+perien*es o the individual would &e in*reasin"l! reed romthe t!rann! o a&stra*t so*ial *ate"ories4

iii9 s e+ternal *riti@ue o li&eralism is thus related to the ideal o the radi*all! sel;

revisionar! so*iet!5 on the one hand5 and o le"al do*trine as a means *onstantl! to *hallen"e

the sta&ilisation o divisions and hierar*hies5 on the other4

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Aibliography and Re,erences

a9 6arris5 :4W45 e"al philosophies5 2nddition nternational Student dition5 utterworths5

ondon din&ur"h5 Du&lin5 1..74

&9 ri+5 rian :urispruden*eI s ntrodu*tion to :urispruden*e5 7thed 5 ondonI Steves U Sons5

20014

d9 Christie5 (4C45 U Martin5 F4 645 :urispruden*eI

seminar 7- realism, critical legal theory

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