Comparative Reasoning in European Supreme Courts

321 Pages·2013·1.434 MB·English

by  Michal Bobek

COMPARATIVE REASONING IN EUROPEAN
SUPREME COURTS
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Comparative Reasoning in
European Supreme Courts
MICHAL BOBEK
1
3
GreatClarendonStreet,Oxford,OX26DP,
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Contents
ListofAbbreviations ix
Introduction 1
1. TheTopic 1
2. TheApproach 2
3. TheStructure 4
4. Acknowledgements 5
PART I. THE FRAMEWORK
1. TheDebateonComparativeReasoningbyCourts 9
1. AHistoricalView 9
1.1 ANovelty... 9
1.2 ...RisinginQuantitativeTerms 14
2. TheContextoftheCurrentDebates 16
2. ForeignLawinCourts:ATypology 19
1. MandatoryUsesofForeignLaw 21
1.1 PrivateInternationalLaw(ConflictofLaws) 22
1.2 MutualRecognition,Extradition,andOtherCompulsory
ConsiderationsofForeignLaw 22
1.3 DirectlyApplicableSourcesofPublicInternationalLaw 23
1.4 LawoftheEuropeanUnion 25
1.5 LawoftheEuropeanConventiononHumanRights 27
2. AdvisableUsesofForeignLaw 28
2.1 ReferencetoaParentInternationalLaw(andtoEULaw
beforeAccession) 28
2.2 LawsSharedwithorTakenfromOtherStates 29
2.3 GeneralPrinciplesofLaw 30
2.4 Intra-federalReferences 31
3. VoluntaryUsesofForeignLaw 33
4. Non-mandatoryUsesofForeignLawandLegalComparisons 34
3. FactorsInfluencingtheUseofComparativeArgumentsbyCourts 36
1. Introduction:OfAbstractModelsandCausality 36
2. GeneralFactors 39
2.1 ThePoliticalandtheLegal 40
2.2 TheSize 41
2.3 TheAge 42
3. InstitutionalFactors 44
3.1 LeveloftheCourtintheJudicialHierarchy 44
vi Contents
3.2 AnalyticalBack-up 46
3.3 PointsofReference,Networks,Databases 47
4. ProceduralFactors 50
4.1 CasesSelection 50
4.2 ActivityoftheParties 51
4.3 Amicuscuriae 52
4.4 CostsofLitigation 53
5. HumanFactors 54
6. ComparisonsinPrivateandinPublicLaw 57
7. ConstitutionalAdjudicationandHumanRights 60
PART II. THE PRACTICE
4. Prologue:TheMethodanditsPitfalls 67
1. What 67
2. How 69
3. PotentialInaccuracies 72
5. EnglandandWales 75
1. TheDoctrine 76
1.1 Precedent 77
1.2 StatutoryInterpretation 78
1.3 AnAxiomaticallyOpenSystem 79
2. JudicialViews 80
2.1 TheJudicialForum 80
2.2 Extra-judicialFora 82
3. ThePractice 84
3.1 TheCommonLawandtheRestoftheWorldGap 84
3.2 AGlanceattheAppellateCommitteeoftheHouseofLordsin2009 87
3.3 TheSupremeCourtoftheUnitedKingdom 90
4. AnEvaluation:ARealChangeorJustaChangeinTaxonomy? 90
4.1 TheUnityoftheCommonLaw—fromAppealstoCoordination 90
4.2 WithWhomtoCompare? 93
4.3 TheVoluntaryCommonwealthandtheCompulsoryEurope 95
6. France 97
1. ANoteontheJudicialStyle 97
2. TheDoctrine 99
2.1 TheExegesis 100
2.2 Gényandthelibrerecherchescientifique 101
2.3 SaleillesandtheSearchforObjectiveJudicialComparisons 103
2.4 TheModernEntryPoints:DynamicInterpretation,
Standards,andGaps 104
3. JudicialViews 106
4. ThePractice 107
4.1 IndirectEvidenceofComparativeAnalysis 108
4.2 Conseild‘Etat 111
Contents vii
4.3 Courdecassation 113
4.4 Conseilconstitutionnel 114
5. AnEvaluation:ComparativeAnalysisasaLiberalizingExercise? 116
7. Germany 120
1. ANoteontheStructureofGermanFederalJurisdictions 120
2. TheDoctrine 122
2.1 TheComparativeLawDebate 123
2.2 TheGeneralRechtsdogmatik 127
3. JudicialViews 135
3.1 TheJudicialForum 136
3.2 Extra-judicialFora 138
4. ThePractice 139
4.1 Bundesverfassungsgericht 140
4.2 Bundesgerichtshof 144
4.3 Bundesverwaltungsgericht 147
5. TheOverallPicture:ThePre-eminenceofScholarlyComparisons 148
8. CzechRepublic 152
1. TheDoctrine 152
2. JudicialViews 154
3. ThePractice 157
3.1 Ústavnísoud 157
3.2 Nejvyššísoud 162
3.3 Nejvyššísprávnísoud 164
4. ExplainingtheGaps 168
4.1 ComparativeLawwithoutaTheory 168
4.2 JudicialDifferentiationandInstitutionalMentality 172
9. Slovakia 174
1. JudicialViews 175
2. ThePractice 178
2.1 Ústavnýsúd 178
2.2 Najvyššísúd 185
3. TheDifference:CommonHistoryDoesNotMean
theSamePresent 189
10. AnEmpiricalEpilogue:Quantity,Quality,andBeyond 192
1. TheQuantity 192
2. TheQuality 196
3. TheTheories 197
PART III. THE APPRAISAL
11. ComparativeReasoningbyCourts:TheTheoreticalPlayingField 203
1. JudicialIdeologiesandJudicialDecision-making 204
2. TheNeedforExtra-systemicInspiration 205
viii Contents
2.1 GapsinLaw 206
2.2 SocietalChange 208
3. JudgesasLegislators 210
4. The(Positivistic)LimitsofComparativeReasoningbyCourts 212
4.1 Persuasive,neverBinding 213
4.2 Subsidiary,neverControlling 215
4.3 Additional,neverFree-standing 216
4.4 DefendableandSelective,notExhaustive 217
5. Summary:OfOldandNewHats 217
12. OnAuthority,Citation,andSilence 220
1. TheAuthorityanditsDisplayinaJudicialDecision 220
1.1 TheTypesofAuthority:TheRationalandtheReligious 220
1.2 TheDiscoveryanditsRepresentation 222
1.3 TheStylesoftheRepresentation 223
2. TheMeaningofaLegalCitation 225
3. ToReadand/ortoQuote? 227
4. TheAdvantagesofSilence 230
4.1 TheInstitutionalandtheSubstantiveLegitimacy 230
4.2 TheTransparencyTrap 233
4.3 TransparencyandOtherValues 234
13. ComparativeReasoningbyCourts:SomeClassicalPointsRevisited 237
1. TheLegitimacy 237
2. TheMethodology 240
2.1 TheChallenges:OfCherriesandMisunderstandings 240
2.2 BlurredMethodologyorBlurredYardsticks? 242
3. ThePurpose 245
4. ThePredictability 249
14. TheDeviations:PoliticalOver-andNon-comparisons 252
1. PoliticsofComparisons 252
2. Over-comparisons 255
2.1 TheNatureofaLegalTransition 255
2.2 JudiciaryinaLegalTransition 257
2.3 MethodologicalAspects:ExternalInspirationandAuthority 260
2.4 InstitutionalAspects:FromRevolutionaryTribunalsto
RegularSupremeJurisdictions 265
2.5 OfLawImportationandTemporalColonies 269
3. Non-comparisons 272
3.1 Superiority,Exclusivity,andPoliticalClosures 272
3.2 TheAmericanDeviation 274
Conclusions 282
SelectBibliography 288
Index 307
List of Abbreviations
ABGB AllgemeinesBürgerlichesGesetzbuch(Austria)
AG avocatgénéral
BAG Bundesarbeitsgericht(Germany)
BFH Bundesfinanzhof(Germany)
BGB BürgerlichesGesetzbuch(Germany)
BGH Bundesgerichtshof(Germany)
BGHZ EntscheidungendesBundesgerichtshofesinZivilsachen(Germany)
BSG Bundessozialgericht(Germany)
BVerfG Bunderverfassungsgericht(Germany)
BVerfGE EntscheidungendesBundesverfassungsgerichts(Germany)
BVerwG Bundesverwaltungsgericht(Germany)
BverwGE EntscheidungendesBundesverwaltungsgerichts(Germany)
CA CourtofAppeal(EnglandandWales)
CC Conseilconstitutionnel(France)
CdC Courdecassation(France)
CdE Conseild’Etat(France)
CdG commissairedugouvernement
CE CentralEurope(an)
CNS Nejvyššísoud(CzechRepublic)
CNSS Nejvyššísprávnísoud(CzechRepublic)
CÚS Ústavnísoud(CzechRepublic)
Convention EuropeanConventiononHumanRights
DDR DeutscheDemokratischeRepublik(formerEastGermany)
ECHR EuropeanConventiononHumanRights
ECtHR EuropeanCourtofHumanRights
EFTA EuropeanFreeTradeArea
EU EuropeanUnion
GG Grundgesetz(Germany)
HL HouseofLords(UnitedKingdom)
ILO InternationalLabourOrganisation
NSA NaczelnySądAdministracyjny(Poland)
RP rapporteurpublic
SNS Najvyššísúd(SlovakRepublic)
SÚS Ústavnýsúd(SlovakRepublic)
TC TrybunałKonstytucyjny(Poland)
TEC TreatyEstablishingtheEuropeanCommunity
TEU TreatyontheEuropeanUnion
TFEU TreatyontheFunctioningoftheEuropeanUnion
UKHL AppellateCommitteeoftheHouseofLords(UnitedKingdom)
UKSC SupremeCourtoftheUnitedKingdom
USSC UnitedStatesSupremeCourt
ZGB Zivilgesetzbuch(Switzerland)