Interpretation and Legal Theory

The claim that legal theory is best viewed in the light of a theory of interpretation is subjected here to a comprehensive and critical examination. The text contains critical analyses of some of the most influential interpretative theories of law.

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The claim that legal theory is best viewed in the light of a theory of interpretation is subjected here to a comprehensive and critical examination. The text contains both a critical analysis of some of the most influential interpretative theories of law and an attempt to defend the legal positivist school of thought in the light of this challenge, together with an analysis of the nature of interpretation, the role of authors' intentions in interpretation, the nature of legal theory, and an application of these theoretical considerations to a theory of adjudication in law.