Abstract
Virtually all norms of a legal system are more or less closely connected to the enforcement of law . The reasons for this coercive character of law is to be found in the state’s monopoly of legitimate coercion, conflicting interests of the members of society and the unpredictability of the behavior of human beings. The coercive character of law ensures the effectiveness of law and therefore legal security. As legal security is a fundamental value of any legal order and society, the effectivity of law based on the enforcement of law is a reasonable argument to obey the law “just because it is the law”. Therefore the force of law might not be the only or even the main reason to follow the law, but it is a necessary condition to obey it. As law has no empirical existence without obedience, it does not exist without force.
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- 1.
Therefore it is correct when Shapiro (2011, 176), states, “that, when the law does use force, it is always organized”.
- 2.
In so far it is correct when Shapiro (2011, 63) points out “that sanctions and nullity have the same basic function: they both are negative incentives” (emphasizes in original).
- 3.
The theory of the “Fehlerkalkül” was developed by Merkl (1923, 293), a disciple of Hans Kelsen.
References
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Merkl, A. J. (1923). Die Lehre von der Rechtskraft entwickelt aus dem Rechtsbegriff: eine rechtstheoretische Untersuchung. Wien: Franz Deuticke Verlag.
Schauer, F. (2015). The force of law. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Shapiro, S. J. (2011). Legality. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University.
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Potacs, M. (2016). Does Law Without Force Exist?. In: Bezemek, C., Ladavac, N. (eds) The Force of Law Reaffirmed. Law and Philosophy Library, vol 117. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33987-0_8
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