Summary – Exploring the Jurist’s Frame of Mind: Constraints and Preconceptions
in Civil Law Argumentation – J Vranken:
Chapter 1: The Art of Handling Cases
Handling cases the ability to deal with legal cases is very important to lawyers. Cases form the
basis for lawyer’s thought, reason and argumentation. Reading law means solving cases and deciding
which arguments are valid with the use of guidelines: juridical decisions this is a case-centred
approach, in which is learned what decisions to apply in certain legal cases.
Common law De Iure (“by law”, legally recognised, does not have to exist in reality).
Civil Law De Facto (“in fact”, exist in reality, might not be legally recognised).
Private law legal rules, principles and doctrines; this is a conceptual-analytic approach. Many law
textbooks are ‘narrow-minded’ and do not take into account changes and background. There is a lack of
reflection and this leads to studying law only using practical thinking.
Case Comparison comparing a case to a similar (imaginary) case.
Codification of Legal Decisions when lawyers or other legislators think ahead for developing new
general rules (for current or future events), the most severe possible outcome is imagined and thoughts
go out to what could potentially go wrong, who would be responsible and what would the consequences
be.
Proposed rules are tested by looking back at precedents / old cases and by imagining future cases.
Falsification through Cases testing new rules for unwanted consequences and amending these
rules where necessary.
The aim of a lawyer or legislator can, apart from designing new rules, also be to find new viewpoints
and concepts, which should provide a consistent framework for common solutions.
Creation of Law by Judiciary (Judges) this differs from country to country; legislation and judge-
made law have become “partners in the business of law”, because law develops due to new situations
that come into existence and were not predictable or foreseen. The allocation of the task of deciding on
new rules therefore partially goes out to judges.
In common law countries, this ‘partnership’ is more recognised than in civil law countries, where judge-
made law is seen as a secondary role law develops at a faster rate in areas with vigorous litigation
(better law proceedings). In civil law systems, a lot is still empirically and theoretically undeveloped.
Many areas / fields of law cannot be discussed without studying available case law knowledge of
relevant case law is very important in common and civil law (also after codification).
Lawyers usually seek solutions which fit best the particulars of an individual case argumentation
which seeks for a broader perspective and which adds value to decisions fails to persist in an
undertaking.
in Civil Law Argumentation – J Vranken:
Chapter 1: The Art of Handling Cases
Handling cases the ability to deal with legal cases is very important to lawyers. Cases form the
basis for lawyer’s thought, reason and argumentation. Reading law means solving cases and deciding
which arguments are valid with the use of guidelines: juridical decisions this is a case-centred
approach, in which is learned what decisions to apply in certain legal cases.
Common law De Iure (“by law”, legally recognised, does not have to exist in reality).
Civil Law De Facto (“in fact”, exist in reality, might not be legally recognised).
Private law legal rules, principles and doctrines; this is a conceptual-analytic approach. Many law
textbooks are ‘narrow-minded’ and do not take into account changes and background. There is a lack of
reflection and this leads to studying law only using practical thinking.
Case Comparison comparing a case to a similar (imaginary) case.
Codification of Legal Decisions when lawyers or other legislators think ahead for developing new
general rules (for current or future events), the most severe possible outcome is imagined and thoughts
go out to what could potentially go wrong, who would be responsible and what would the consequences
be.
Proposed rules are tested by looking back at precedents / old cases and by imagining future cases.
Falsification through Cases testing new rules for unwanted consequences and amending these
rules where necessary.
The aim of a lawyer or legislator can, apart from designing new rules, also be to find new viewpoints
and concepts, which should provide a consistent framework for common solutions.
Creation of Law by Judiciary (Judges) this differs from country to country; legislation and judge-
made law have become “partners in the business of law”, because law develops due to new situations
that come into existence and were not predictable or foreseen. The allocation of the task of deciding on
new rules therefore partially goes out to judges.
In common law countries, this ‘partnership’ is more recognised than in civil law countries, where judge-
made law is seen as a secondary role law develops at a faster rate in areas with vigorous litigation
(better law proceedings). In civil law systems, a lot is still empirically and theoretically undeveloped.
Many areas / fields of law cannot be discussed without studying available case law knowledge of
relevant case law is very important in common and civil law (also after codification).
Lawyers usually seek solutions which fit best the particulars of an individual case argumentation
which seeks for a broader perspective and which adds value to decisions fails to persist in an
undertaking.
