Synonyms
Definition
Customary law: A system of rules of obligation and governance processes that spontaneously evolve from the bottom-up within a community.
“Customary law” sometimes refers to various immanent principles, so well established and widely recognized that sovereigns feel obliged to adopt them as law (e.g., as in common law recognition of “immemorial custom”), but it also can be applied to the legal arrangements within primitive communities. Another definition delineates the source of immanent customary principles, however, and encompasses primitive law: Customary law is a system of rules of obligation and governance processes that spontaneously evolve from the bottom-up within a community (Pospisil 1971). This definition is the focus of the following presentation. Those who contend that “law” consists of general commands of a sovereign will not consider this concept to be appropriately labeled as law, nor will...
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References
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Benson, B. (2022). Customary Law. In: Marciano, A., Ramello, G.B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Law and Economics. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7883-6_515-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7883-6_515-2
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Chapter history
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Latest
Customary Law- Published:
- 26 November 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7883-6_515-2
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Original
Customary Law- Published:
- 21 June 2014
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7883-6_515-1