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JURISPRUDENCE Introduction[1]

Table of Contents

(Jurisprudence its meaning, nature, value and scope)

QUESTION BANK

Q.1 Define ‘Jurisprudence’ and state its scope and significance.

Q.2 State the meaning of ‘Jurisprudence’ and examine its importance.

Q.3 Define Jurisprudence and state its value and scope.

Q.4 Define Jurisprudence and state its scope.

SYNOPSIS

I Meaning of Jurisprudence

II Definition

III Nature of Jurisprudence

IV Value of Jurisprudence

I Meaning of Jurisprudence –

Jurisprudence is also called ‘Legal Theory’[2]. The term ‘Jurisprudence’ is derived from the Latin term ‘Jurisprudentia’. The term ‘Jurisprudenia’ comprises two words, ‘Juris’ and ‘prudentia’. The term ‘juris’ means law, and the term ‘prudentia’ means skill or knowledge. Thus, the term ‘Jurisprudence’ signifies the knowledge of the law. It is also taken as a skill in law.

II Definition-

According to some jurists, defining the term Jurisprudence is a very difficult task. However, some jurists have tried to define the term ‘Jurisprudence’. We will discuss some of these definitions –

1. According to John Salmond –

“Jurisprudence” is the name-

given to a certain type of investigation into law.
An investigation of an abstract, general and theoretical nature.
Which seeks to lay bare the essential principles of law and the legal system[3].

Salmond also defines ‘Jurisprudence’ as “the science of the first principle of law”.

2. According to M.J.Sethna –

“Jurisprudence” is the –

study of fundamental legal principles,
including their philosophical, historical and sociological bases, and
an analysis of legal concepts[4].

3. According to C.K.Allen –

“Jurisprudence” is the scientific study of law’s essential principles[5].

4. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica-

“Jurisprudence” is the name given to those studies, research and speculations which aim primarily at answering the plain man’s question: What is Law? It is proposed to define Law for the jurist as the sum of influences that determine decisions in Courts of justice.”

5. According to Gray–

“Jurisprudence” is the science of Law, the statement and systematic arrangement of the rules followed by the courts and principles involved in those rules.”

6. According to Roscoe Pound-

“Jurisprudence” is a consideration of the ethical and social merits of legal rules.

III Nature of Jurisprudence[6] –

From the above definitions, we may lay down the nature of Jurisprudence in the following manner.

Jurisprudence is an investigation into law.

According to Salmond, ‘investigation’ means “an intellectual inquiry”. In Jurisprudence, fundamental or basic principles of law are investigated purely in a philosophical and logical manner. It is in this sense Jurisprudence is the philosophy of law.

An investigation of abstract, general and theoretical nature[7]. An investigation is called an abstract and theoretical nature because unlike other laws such as the Indian Penal Code, the Indian Contract Act, the Law of Torts etc., the Jurisprudence has no such set of rules which are useful to solve Fundamental problems in a given case. Another reason is that, Jurisprudence studies ‘abstract notions’ such as law, justice, personality, act, omission, intention etc.

Jurisprudence studies general notions of law, which are common to all legal systems. Therefore, it is useful to all persons related to law, i.e. students, lawyers or judges, etc.

The purpose of such investigation is to understand and synthesize the general principles of Law and the legal system.

The purpose of Jurisprudence is to understand and synthesize the general principles of law and the legal system. Therefore, Jurisprudence is only of theoretical nature; it is without practical application, unlike other laws.

The general and abstract principles studied under Jurisprudence are right, duty, possession, ownership, title, obligation, personality, person, property, etc. Jurisprudence also studies the concept of ‘Law’ and different theories of law. It also studies the relation of law to morality, sociology, economy, philosophy, etc. Jurisprudence further studies different sources of Law.

In other words, Jurisprudence studies general principles of Law with theoretical means. It does not study a set of rules and their application as studied under the Indian Penal Code, Constitution, Contract, etc.

IV Value / utility of Jurisprudence –

It is often said that Jurisprudence, an abstract and theoretical subject, is not of any practical use; however, it is a very useful subject.

According to Salmond, Jurisprudence has its own intrinsic interest, like any other subject of serious scholarship.

We will discuss the utility of Jurisprudence in the following points –

According to John Salmond, Jurisprudence is a science of civil law. Jurisprudence studies fundamental principles of civil law. The study of Jurisprudence provides lawyers and legislatures with the correct use of legal terms by providing precise and unambiguous terminology.
Jurisprudence has great educational value for law students and lawyers.
The study of Jurisprudence helps ascertain the true meaning of laws passed by the legislators by providing rules of interpretation.
The study of Jurisprudence helps in the scientific development of law.
The study of Jurisprudence gives an understanding of the nature of law.
Jurisprudence is comprehensive and studies basic concepts of law commonly used in a number of statutes, specifically civil statutes.

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[1] न्यायशास्त्र /विधिषास्त्र/ विधित्त्वांची मिमांसा [(येथून पुढे काही महत्त्वाच्या इंग्रजी शब्दांचे मराठीत/ व कौन्सात हिंदी अर्थ दिलेले आहेत. त्याचा उद्देष विद्याथ्र्यांना विषय चांगल्या प्रकारे समजावा एवढाच मर्यादित आहे. मराठी अर्थ हे विशयाला धरुन केले असल्यामुळे ते शब्दकोषाप्रमाणे अगदी बरोबर असतीलच असे नाही. विद्याथ्र्यांनी अभ्यास करताना विविध मराठी व इंग्रजी शब्दकोष वापरावेत.)

[2] कायदयाचा शिद्धंत [कानून का सिद्धांत ]

[3] न्यायषास्त्र हे कायदयातील विषिश्ठ प्रकारचे तपासास दिलेले नांव असुन सदर तपास हा अमुर्त, सर्वसाधारण व तात्वीक स्वरूपाचा असुन त्याचा उद्दष कायदा व कायदा प्रक्रीयेसाठी अवश्यक तत्वे मांडणे हा आहे. [न्यायशास्त्र कानून में एक विशेष प्रकार की जांच को दिया गया नाम है और उक्त जांच अमूर्त, सामान्य और दार्शनिक प्रकृति की है और इसका उद्देश्य कानून और कानूनी प्रक्रिया के लिए आवश्यक सिद्धांतों को निर्धारित करना है। ]

[4] न्यायशास्त्र हा मुलभुत कायदेषीर तत्वांचा त्यांच्या तत्वज्ञाण, इतीहास व समाजषास्त्रीय अधारासह अभ्यास असुन त्यात कायदेशीर संज्ञांचा अभ्याससुध्दा केला जातो. [न्यायशास्त्र बुनियादी कानूनी सिद्धांतों के साथ-साथ उनके दर्शन, इतिहास और समाजशास्त्रीय आधार का अध्ययन है और इसमें कानूनी शब्दावली का भी अध्ययन किया जाता है। ]

[5] न्यायशास्त्र म्हणजे शास्त्रीय द्रदृष्टी कोनातुन कायदयाच्या अवश्यक /मुलभुत तत्वांचा अभ्यास होय [न्यायशास्त्र वैज्ञानिक दृष्टिकोण से कानून के आवश्यक/मौलिक सिद्धांतों का अध्ययन है ]

[6] न्यायशास्त्राचे स्वरूप [न्यायशास्त्र की प्रकृति ]

[7] अमुर्त, सार्वत्रिक, तात्त्विक [न्यायशास्त्र की प्रकृति ]