Lack of Law

Japanese: 法の欠缺 - ほうのけんけつ

A lack of applicable law in a certain matter, such as when there is no applicable legal provision in a trial. In 19th century jurisprudence, the idea that there is no lacuna in the law and that all legal problems can be resolved by statutory law and its interpretation was strong. This is called the idea of the completeness of the legal order. This idea has been criticized since the end of the 19th century by theories of interest jurisprudence and liberal law, and Article 1 of the Swiss Civil Code (1907) recognizes the lacuna in the law, stating that "in the absence of an applicable legal provision, a case shall be decided according to customary law; in the absence of customary law, a case shall be decided according to the principles that the judge would establish if he were the legislator."

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

裁判にあたって適用すべき法規がない場合のように，ある事柄について適用さるべき法が欠けていること。19世紀の法学においては，法には欠缺がなくすべての法律問題は制定法とその解釈によって解決がえられるという考え方が強かった。これを法秩序の完足性の思想と呼ぶ。この考え方は，19世紀末以来利益法学や自由法論によって批判され，スイス民法1条(1907)は，〈適用しうる法条がない場合には慣習法により，慣習法もない場合には，もし裁判官が立法者であったならば定立するであろう原則に従って裁判すべし〉と規定し，法の欠缺を認めている。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

<<: The rule of law

>>: Reception of law