legal interpretation

Argument from Precedent in Legal Interpretation of Texts of Legal Acts from the Perspective of a Derivative Concept of Legal Interpretation

Prof. US dr hab. Agnieszka Choduń

University of Szczecin

English abstract: The aim of this article is to ascertain whether in the Polish legal culture in which precedent is not a legislative fact, it can become an argument in the process of judicial interpretation. The article posits that an analysis of precedent as an argument in judicial interpretation must be carried out in relation to a particular concept (or theory) of legal interpretation. Hence, it adopts the Maciej Zieliński’s (derivative) concept of legal interpretation as a point of reference for understanding “legal interpretation”. The choice is based on the following reasons: 1) this concept offers a complex approach to legal interpretation (which assumes that interpretation can be concluded if three directives have been applied by an interpreter: linguistic, systemic and functional); 2) this concept considers the realistic elements of legal interpretation in the form of directives linked to the interpretative findings achieved in judicial practice; 3) this concept stipulates that legal interpretation has certain roles, which allow establishing whether the outcome of legal reasoning is within the scope of the interpretation or whether it constitutes a “normative novelty”. As a result of this analysis, it can be concluded that depending on the content of the directives of interpretation adopted in a given legal culture, the proceedings of the entity applying a law will have either an interpretative or a legislative character and will consequently determine how invoking earlier court judgments in legal interpretation will be classified.

Keywords: precedent, legal interpretation, roles of interpretation

Language: English

Published: Number 3(32)/2022, pp. 19-33

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2022.3.19

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Number of downloads: 64

This text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial – No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Remarks About the Axiological Dimension of the Polish Constitution of 1997 and Its Interpretation in the Light of Works of Professor Piotr Winczorek

Prof. UŚ dr hab. Sławomir Tkacz, Prof. dr hab. Zygmunt Tobor

University of Silesia in Katowice

English abstract: This article is an extended and supplemented version of the address given during the scientific conference dedicated to Professor Piotr Winczorek. The authors made an attempt to reconstruct theory-of-law views based on the statements of Piotr Winczorek. The subject of the research was especially issues related to the axiology of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland. In the course of research such issues as the concept of the legal order in the light of constitutional provisions, constitutional values, constitutional principles, and sources of law were taken up. One of the interesting problems emphasized by Piotr Winczorek was whether the basic law should be frugal in terms of manifesting values. The research is supplemented by an analysis of the problems of legal interpretation in the works of Piotr Winczorek. The conducted analyses enable formulating a general conclusion that many problems raised by Piotr Winczorek are referred to in the current constitutional disputes. Therefore, it is worthwhile to refer to the works of Professor Winczorek, whose statements can be treated as an authentic interpretation of the Polish Constitution of 1997.

Keywords: Piotr Winczorek, theory of law, legal interpretation, Constitution of the Republic of Poland, legal values, legal principles

Language: Polish

Published: Number 1(30)/2022, pp. 113-125

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2022.1.113

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Number of downloads: 74

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Introduction to the Fidelity to the Constitution

Szymon A. Gasz, Marek P. Kaczmarczyk

University of Warsaw

English abstract: The time of changes taking place in the constitutional order, both constitutional and fait accompli changes, is undoubtedly an interesting opportunity for in-depth analyses. These analyses can be made from various perspectives. The authors focus on three basic perspectives – that of law, philosophy and political science – in order to investigate what they refer to as constitutional fidelity. The limited framework of the paper only permits providing an introduction to the subject. In this text, the authors indicate the basic categories of constitutional fidelity, reflect on the dimensions of this fidelity, and try to propose a solution to the puzzle of the future of Polish constitutionalism. The entire analysis repeatedly refers to sociological and, to some extent, psychological categories, because constitutional fidelity is, first of all, a proper civic attitude and a relationship, the awareness of which is often only discovered at a moment of crisis.

Keywords: constitution, constitutionalism, fidelity to the constitution, constitutional crisis, legal interpretation, civic society

Language: Polish

Published: Number 1(30)/2022, pp. 17-32

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2022.1.17

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Number of downloads: 82

This text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial – No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Removing a Spell by Spell? Some Remarks Regarding Rafał Mańko’s Monograph on the Critical Philosophy of Adjudication

Mgr Mateusz Wojtanowski

University of Wrocław

English abstract: The reviewer claims that Rafał Mańko’s monograph ‘Towards a critical philosophy of adjudication. The political, ethics, legitimacy’ (Łódź, 2018) should be connected with the so called essentialist wing of postmodernism, which deals with the issues of traditional philosophy under the veil of cognitive skepticism. The review attempts to convince a reader that the author’s authoritative metaphysical statements translate into too radical program in the field of adjudication. The reviewer do not deny the necessity to ‘open’ the traditional legal domain to external arguments, however, he claim that the proposal presented in this regard by Rafał Mańko is too far-reaching.

Keywords: adjudication, legal interpretation, political, ideology, CLS, postmodernism

Language: Polish

Published: Number 4(25)/2020, pp. 118-126.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2020.4.118

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Number of downloads: 252

The Role of Values in Legal Interpretation: The Normative Approach

Prof. US dr hab. Olgierd Bogucki

University of Szczecin

English abstract: The article presents and analyses a certain theory of values and their role in legal interpretation. The article calls it a ‘componential’ theory of values. According to the theory, values in law create structures based on global assessments: comprehensive axiological judgements that consider all the relevant values and degrees of their realization. The basic theorem of the theory is the theorem on isomorphy between the global assessment and the content of the legal norm. This ‘componential’ theory is the basis of the normative model of legal interpretation. According to this model, the interpreter should reconstruct the global assessment and choose the one possible result of interpretation – the one norm of conduct – which will be the most consistent with this judgement. In order to reconstruct the aforementioned global assessment, the interpreter should consider the legal text, case law and legal literature, legislative materials and interpretative presumption.

The article reconstructs the philosophical presumptions behind the aforementioned theory and model. The article points out that the fundamental value behind the normative model is the intersubjectivity of legal interpretation as an element of the rule of law. The article also indicates that the theory and model described above are based on legal positivism, but with significant connections with legal hermeneutics, Dworkin’s theory of law, and argumentative approaches to law. In addition, the theory seems to presume weak commensurability of values.

Keywords: legal interpretation, theory of law, philosophy of law, axiology, ‘componential’ theory of values

Language: Polish

Published: Number 2(23)/2020, pp. 96-108.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2020.2.96

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Number of downloads: 423

The Principle of Nullum Crimen Sine Lege as a Source for Search for the Limits of Linguistic Interpretation in Criminal Law?

Prof. UŚ dr hab. Sławomir Tkacz

University of Silesia in Katowice

English abstract: The principle of nullum crimen sine lege is nowadays recognized as the standard of the rule of law. This doctrine prohibits the use of analogies and extensive interpretation of legal provisions to the disadvantage of the perpetrator. The starting point of these considerations is that texts of criminal provisions vary in nature. Therefore a question should be asked about the nature of these prohibitions in relation to various provisions. A separate problem is to distinguish inference by analogy from legal interpretation. The presented considerations are aimed at answering the question whether the nullum crimen sine lege principle allows determining the linguistic limits for the interpretation of criminal law. The analyses are illustrated by examples from the field of criminal case law. The article aims to provide reflection on the acceptable limits of interpretation of criminal law, if such limits can be defined. The considerations end with general conclusions.

Keywords: nullum crimen sine lege, limits of legal interpretation, legal interpretation, criminal law, theory of law

Language: Polish

Published: Number 2(23)/2020, pp. 81-95.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2020.2.81

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Number of downloads: 345

Dialogical Concept of Legal Interpretation

Prof. dr hab. Zygmunt Tobor, mgr Konrad Kobyliński

University of Silesia in Katowice

English abstract: The purpose of this text is to present an outline of the dialogical concept of legal interpretation. It involves the need to establish the relationship between the legislature and courts. In the normative dimension, this concept includes an analysis of assumptions about the mutual roles of the legislature and courts in determining the substance of the law. In the descriptive dimension, the authors present tools that enable communication between the legislature and courts in order to improve the interpretation process. The authors describe the requirements for communication between courts and the legislature, and refer to existing solutions in Poland and the United States. In the text the importance of this issue is only signaled, but the authors believe that it is worth further research.

Keywords: legal interpretation, strategies of interpretation, communication theory of legal interpretation

Language: Original printed in Polish, English translation available below

Published: Number 2(23)/2020, pp. 35-48.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2020.2.35ENG

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Number of downloads: 161

Regarding Justification of Interpretive Claims

Prof. US dr hab. Agnieszka Choduń, prof. dr hab. Maciej Zieliński

University of Szczecin

English abstract: The duty to provide justification for claims is the realization of the postulate of criticism in the academia. Decisions regarding legal interpretation (regardless of whether they are formulated in the process of applying the law or outside this process) are made in the form of claims about a binding legal norm with a certain content. Validation of such claims requires their justification, just like in the academia. And in the academia, a claim remains theoretical until someone presents an inter-subjectively verified justification for it. The aim of this article is precisely that: to indicate the necessity to justify interpretive claims (both partial and final) in the process of interpretation. As a starting point in the process of demonstrating the need to formulate such a justification, we choose the derivative conception of legal interpretation, which provides for the duty to justify interpretive claims for methodological reasons (and which is an intrinsic element of the content of legal directives in this conception, at least implicitly). We present and discuss the types of justifications for interpretive claims and their variants (weak and strong). Furthermore, we analyse the difference between justifying ordinary and interpretive claims. Finally, we also identify the consequences of failure to provide such justifications.

Keywords: justification of interpretive claim, legal interpretation, postulate of criticism

Language: Polish

Published: Number 2(23)/2020, pp. 7-18.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2020.2.7

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Number of downloads: 359

Should a Court Be Understanding for the Legislator? On Legislative Error from the Perspective of the Theory of Legal Interpretation

Mgr Marek Suska

University of Silesia in Katowice

English abstract: In the actual legislative processes, errors are often made: the legislator’s intentions are not always properly expressed in the legal provisions or there is insufficient clarity. The discrepancy between what the legislator said and what they meant to say poses a serious challenge to the theory and practice of legal interpretation. In this paper, the author analyses two possible reactions to a legislative error: correcting it or applying the provision in its literal meaning. The considerations are based on two decisions of the Criminal Chamber of the Polish Supreme Court, because in criminal law the protection of the prima facie understanding of the text is a very important value. In the final part of the paper, the author indicates factors which can affect the court’s attitude towards a legislative error in a specific case.

Keywords: legislative error, scrivener’s error, legal interpretation, law-making

Language: Polish

Published: Number 1(22)/2020, pp. 99-110.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2020.1.99

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Number of downloads: 289

On Possible Applications of Paul Ricoeur’s Thought in Legal Theory

Dr Marcin Pieniążek

Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University

English abstract: The paradigm of legal positivism, historically the most important attempt at turning law into science, has been subject to thorough criticism in past decades. The criticism has concerned the most important features of legal positivism, and especially the assumption of separation of law and morality, the dogma of statue being the only source of law, and the linguistic methods of interpreting legal texts. With a crisis of the positive paradigms, the demand for new, humanistic grounds for analysing philosophical and legal questions is intensifying. This is the reason for this article’s attempt to point to the application of Paul Ricoeur’s achievements to the key questions of the philosophy of law. It must be emphasised that his works, and especially Soimême comme un autre, may serve as a foundation for a philosophy of law rejecting the problematic claims about the dualism of being and obligation, the distinction of descriptive and prescriptive languages, and also the separation of law and morality. Thanks to this, the legal topos pacta sunt servanda (agreements must be kept) finds a reinforcement in the ontology of the subject applying law and can be understood as an ethically significant pattern of identity of the self. Equally fruitful seems the possibility of combining the questions of the ontology of the subject applying law with the question of a legal text and its interpretation. The assumption of Ricoeur’s perspective leads to a reduction in the distance between the legal text and its addressee, emphasised by the critics of legal positivism. This rapprochement becomes possible thanks to the connection of the question of the narrative that a legal text is with the question of narrativisation of the subject (i.e. the interpreter of a legal text), being itself in the ipse sense, i.e. applying the law.

Keywords: Paul Ricoeur, legal positivism, legal interpretation

Language: English

Published: Number 1(10)/2015, pp. 79-88

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2015.1.79

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Number of downloads: 232