Normative Diagrams as a Tool for Representing Legal Systems

Abstract

The paper at hand introduces and discusses a diagrammatic method to represent legal norms frst developed by the second author. It is shown how this method can be used to represent not only norms and argument forms originating from classic legal methodology (legal subsumption, analogy, appeal to the contrary), but also more complex legal-theoretical phenomena, especially legal antinomies. Beyond its didactic virtues, the diagram is a useful theoretical tool for investigating how norms interact with each other and how singular actions can be considered as satisfying or violating a given norm.