Importance of judicial decisions as a perceived level of relevance
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14220%2F20%3A00114150" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14220/20:00114150 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://www.utrechtlawreview.org/articles/10.36633/ulr.504/" target="_blank" >https://www.utrechtlawreview.org/articles/10.36633/ulr.504/</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.36633/ulr.504" target="_blank" >10.36633/ulr.504</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Importance of judicial decisions as a perceived level of relevance
Original language description
Studies employing network analysis to reveal hidden mechanisms in judicial decision making, both in common law as well as civil law countries often use rather vague concepts of ‘importance’ of judicial decisions, concepts that are not always thoroughly explained, tend towards certain relativity and are used together with other similar words [(legal) relevance, (legal) significance…], with or without attempting explanation of these concepts, or relying purely on operationalization. This paper argues that in the context of legal systems that do not recognize a doctrine of precedent this approach is either oversimplified, or even erroneous. It further shows that ‘importance’ of past case-law is essentially a matter of the judge’s choice. Approaching this concept in this manner allows me to show that this choice is explainable within the theoretical framework provided by theories of relevance. This paper focuses on two major approaches to relevance: linguistic pragmatism and information retrieval, and shows that the concept of optimal relevance, as understood by theories of relevance, may serve well as an underlying explanatory framework for answering the question of why judges tend to argue by referring to past case-law even in those legal systems that do not recognize a doctrine of binding precedent.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
—
OECD FORD branch
50501 - Law
Result continuities
Project
<a href="/en/project/GA17-20645S" target="_blank" >GA17-20645S: Exact assessment of the relevance of case-law</a><br>
Continuities
P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)
Others
Publication year
2020
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
Utrecht Law Review
ISSN
1871-515X
e-ISSN
1871-515X
Volume of the periodical
16
Issue of the periodical within the volume
1
Country of publishing house
NL - THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS
Number of pages
18
Pages from-to
39-56
UT code for WoS article
000719421900003
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-85087450573