Jurispruedence

Jurisprudence

Introduction to Jurisprudence

“Jurisprudence (Latin jurisprudentia, from jus,”law,”and prudentia,”knowledge”), knowledge of the law and its interpretation, or the science and philosophy of law. In ancient Rome the term was used in the former sense. Those who were so skilled in the law that they could decide a novel or doubtful case were called juris prudentes, whether or not they were judges, and the body of law built up by their interpretation was called juris prudentia. This development of law by interpretation is akin to what English-speaking peoples call “case”law-law arising from a body of decided cases; in France and Spain the term jurisprudence is still used in that sense.”(1)

Theory or Science of the Law

The word jurisprudence is often used to describe what was once called the philosophy of law and what Continental legal authors now call the theory or science of law. See more here.

Schools of Jurisprudence

In the last decades, the principal schools of jurisprudence are:

the natural-law school,
the analytical school,
the historical school,
the comparative school, and
the sociological school.

Resources

Notes

1. “Jurisprudence,”Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2000. Contributed By William O. Douglas, M.A., LL.B., LL.D. Late Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.