Choosing Legal Logic
From June 17 to 27, 2025 the ALF Summer School on Logical Reasoning and Law took place in Lisbon. During this event, I gave a talk entitled ‘Legal logic(s): one or many? And what are they for?’. The starting points … Continued
The Role of Dilemmas in Law
Where does the notion of legal dilemma come from? In legal theory, the notion of normative conflict has long been discussed and analysed. Yet, in recent years, a more specific category within the latter has attracted growing attention: the notion … Continued
Je li kriterij lex posterior nužan u pravnim sustavima?
Normativni sukobi (antinomije) tradicionalna su tema u zapadnoj pravnoj misli.[i] Pojam se, u širem smislu, odnosi na situacije u kojima dvije pravne norme, koje su istovremeno primjenljive na isto činjenično stanje, uređuju to stanje na međusobno nespojiv način. Primjer … Continued
Is Lex Posterior Necessary in Legal Systems?
Normative conflicts (antinomies) are a traditional topic in Western legal thought [1]. The term, quite broadly speaking, refers to the situations in which two legal norms, simultaneously applicable to the same state of affairs, regulate the state of affairs in … Continued
LFE #6 – What can one expect from logic in law?
In this short video lesson, part of the Legal Fundamentals Explained (LFE) series, Pedro Moniz Lopes (University of Lisbon) reflects on the role of logic in legal thinking and explores what logic can realistically offer to legal practice. He outlines … Continued
LFE #5 – Legal balancing
In this short video lesson, part of the Legal Fundamentals Explained (LFE) series, Jorge Silva Sampaio (University of Lisbon) explains how the concept of legal balancing is employed in legal reasoning. While logic plays a decisive role in identifying normative … Continued
Does logic have any relation to law? (Part II)
We have already seen how logic has been applied in legal theory, in particular for the reconstruction of legal systems as deductive systems and the logical justification of legal decisions. Here, we will see in which sense the claim that … Continued
LFE #4 – Truth, Objectivity and Legal Statements
In this short video lesson, , part of the Legal Fundamentals Explained (LFE) series, Tiago Rodrigues Barboza (University of Lisbon) explores the relationship between truth, objectivity, and legal statements. He examines how the concept of truth relates to legal discourse … Continued
Does logic have any relation to law? (Part I)
Perplexities regarding the relation between logic and law often stem from the fact that when speaking about ‘logic’, it is not clear enough what it is referred to. Broadly understood, logic is an artificial language providing forms of arguments that … Continued
LFE #3 – A fortiori arguments
In this short lesson, part of the Legal Fundamentals Explained (LFE) series, Gonçalo Fabião (University of Lisbon) examines the structure and use of a fortiori arguments in legal reasoning. He clarifies that a fortiori arguments should not be understood as a method of … Continued