Legal science history, systems, concepts, methodology

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Charles McCarthy
Legal science history, systems, concepts, methodology

The legal science or science of law refers to the discipline that is related to the legal system, its interpretation and systematization to give it a fair application. It emphasizes all laws capable of being enacted through legislation. When a law is promulgated, it becomes an element whose application is real within a system of law. 

Much of the theoretical knowledge of law is that which is linked to science, which establishes the principles that come from philosophy and natural law. Legal science, on the other hand, is a social science since law is classified as a product generated from the social and not naturally.

Legal science emphasizes the law to give it a fair application
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 The term "legal science" tends to suffer from a certain ambiguity within the field of law. It may vary depending on how it is used in certain circumstances. In some cases, it is used to refer to the process of studying the law or its result. It can also be used to talk about any discipline that has the law as an object of study or any approach that can be qualified as "science".

Legal science can evaluate the law and determine its operation from the social phenomena that are generated after its application. The application of science within the legal field suggests the identification of the true aspects linked to the investigation of what is considered fair.

Article index

  • 1 Origin and history of legal science
    • 1.1 Ancient Age
    • 1.2 Middle Ages onwards
  • 2 Object of study
  • 3 Featured legal systems
    • 3.1 Romano-French legal system or continental law
    • 3.2 Anglo-Saxon legal system or Common Law
  • 4 The methodology in legal science
    • 4.1 Scientific method
    • 4.2 Intuitive method
    • 4.3 Discursive method
    • 4.4 Deductive method
    • 4.5 Inductive method
  • 5 Concepts related to legal science
    • 5.1 Philosophy of law
    • 5.2 Positive law
    • 5.3 Jurisprudence
  • 6 References

Origin and history of legal science

Old age

The origins of the legal sciences may not be related to a scientific approach in principle. Part of the modern systems of law come from the Roman legal technique. Systems such as Romano-French are derived from here.

Roman law refers to the legal system in the times of ancient Rome and is widely used today as part of continental law and within a diversity of civil codes in the world.

One of the most important contributions of law is the compilation made by Emperor Justinian I. This compendium called Corpus Juris Civilis It comes from the Renaissance and has lasted to this day. It became throughout history, the most influential text in relation to the science of law.

Middle Ages onwards

During the Middle Ages, any advance on the law was overshadowed by religious norms to which the legal element had to be tied. It was not until the 12th century when Roman law began to be retaken and later it began to appear as a systematized aspect, especially within the Italian universities of the time.. 

During the Enlightenment, new forms were given to the legal principles of antiquity such as equality, equity and justice. The material for constitutionalism was also consolidated, which gave way to the declarations of constitutional rights and even to the declaration of human rights itself..

Some forms of the state, such as socialism, influenced the field of legal science as the issue of class predominance resonated within political rights..

Object of study

Although the law cannot be established as an exact science, the study of legal science can generate a type of objective and true knowledge. The union of philosophical and scientific perspectives in relation to law have the possibility of envisioning the way towards what is fair and what is objective. 

Actually the dynamics of legal sciences is also subject to a kind of relativity since there is no exact formula in law that can work universally.

The law dynamics of companies change as they differ from one area to another. For this reason, it is not possible to apply a single formula and obtain the same results in any part of the world, since the science of law is particular within each area..

Laws and regulations do not appear in the same way in two totally different countries, whether due to social, political or cultural factors.. 

Featured legal systems

From the Roman legal technique arises the Romano-French system and the Anglo-Saxon system.

Romano-French legal system or continental law

It is derived from the system that originates in continental Europe and has Roman, German and canon law as its roots. Usually, this type of legal system is the most used by European countries and in turn by those that were colonized by them.. 

One of the fundamental characteristics of this system is that it revolves around the law as the main source and with a meaning that goes above jurisprudence.

The norms within continental law are established within codes. The codes of laws contain a systematized set of articles that have a relationship between them. These explain the operation of the legal mechanisms and also the principles, rights and benefits related to the law.. 

Continental law, for the most part, is inspired by Roman law and uses as a very important reference the particular work of Emperor Justinian I.

It was also influenced by the religious canon during the Middle Ages. It gives priority to the legislative and executive power, along with the regulations that may emanate from them. On the other hand, the area of ​​jurisprudence is limited to the analysis and interpretation of current regulations..

The origin of the expression "continental law" comes from the separation from the geographical point of view between Great Britain and the European continent. In this way, another system known as "Common law". 

Anglo-Saxon legal system or Common law

It is a legal system originating in England and applied in most of the countries that have had strong Anglo-Saxon influence. Within this system all legal decisions are based on the courts, unlike continental law where the main reference is the civil code or the law..

This type of application of the law is linked to jurisprudence. Its origin comes from the Middle Ages in the Court of the Kings, located in Westminster, near London, and that influenced almost the entire country. 

Other elements that make up the law within the Common law They are: legislation, which can include parliamentary laws, local or regional laws, regulations, municipal ordinances or ministerial-type orders. It is also linked to customs, such as commercial laws and, finally, the Common law is associated with some authority referents such as doctrine.

The methodology in legal science

Within this scope, the methodology seeks to study the methods of legal science that can be applied to law within the teleological and axiological framework. For this there are several general methods applied to law, some of them are:

Scientific method

It has a particular relevance since it allows to establish meeting points from all the existing methods. As a fundamental method of science, it is aimed at carrying out a systematic process based on reason to obtain a scientific truth. It is in charge of generating hypotheses and then carrying out their verification.

Intuitive method

It is characterized by being a first observation. The object of study is captured from an intuitive perspective that will then use scientific methods for its verification, so that hypotheses or theories can be generated..

Discursive method

Applicable when the object of study is complex or lacks immediate answers. It consists of covering the object indirectly through contemplation from different points of view, discovering its possible layers step by step and then tying it to a concept. Most of the techniques within this method use documentary research.

Deductive method

Take general knowledge or principles to generate conclusions. Within the legal field, general legal norms are usually used to be applied to specific cases. 

Inductive method

It is responsible for considering a variety of particular phenomena to draw conclusions. Study various cases or specific objectives that allow you to establish a general conclusion. It can be complemented with the deductive method. 

Concepts related to legal science

Philosophy of law

It is a branch of philosophy that deals with the study of the nature of law. It is based on human values, customs, attitudes and political communities. It also focuses on the analysis of the relationship that may exist between the law and other sets of norms such as morality or ethics.. 

Positive law

It refers to an obligation owed to the person who has a right. These obligations can be of a legal or moral nature. Positive law refers to actions that must be carried out according to the law. This is born from the consensus of man and is granted by the State and society. 

Jurisprudence

In the Common Law legal system, decisions are made in accordance with jurisprudence
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It is widely related to the science of law, being many times seen as the same thing. From a philosophical point of view, it refers to the study of right and wrong.

However, in a broader sense, jurisprudence deals with the interpretation of the law for prudent application as appropriate in a given situation. Among other definitions, it is also known as the set of principles within the law that are followed in each country in a particular way..

References

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  2. Foldvary F. Positive Rights. Encyclopedia of Global Justice. Recovered from link.springer.com
  3. Jurisprudence. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org
  4. Civil Law. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org
  5. Núñez A (2013) Five Models of Legal Science. Recovered from journals.openedition.org
  6. Leiter B, Sevel M. (2017) Philosophy of law. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Recovered from britannica.com
  7. Blunden A (2003) Introduction to the Science of Right. General Definitions, and Divisions. Recovered from marxists.org
  8. What is the "Common Law". Legal translation. Recovered from legaltranslation.es
  9. Glendon M, Roland A (2018). Common law. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Recovered from britannica.com

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