Foreword

Authors

Table of Contents

Introduction (‘Interpretation’ in private law) Ewa Rott-Pietrzyk| Bibliography

Introduction (‘Interpretation’ in private law)

Does theory of Contractual Interpretation rest on a mistake?| Bibliography

I. Introduction

II. Conceptually fallacious alternative

III. Communication and intention

IV. Intentions and word meaning

V. Linguistic communication

VI. Interpretation of formal transactions

VII. Interpretive presumptions

What Are We Looking for? – The Aim of Legal Interpretation| Bibliography

I. Introduction

II. The Normative Character of Rules

A. Rightness instead of Trueness

B. Value-dependency of Rules

III. Interpretation and Value Judgments

A. Wording and Meaning

1. Legal Terminology and Ordinary Language

2. Legal Terms

B. The Legislator’s Intention

1. The Relevance of the Legislative Materials

2. The Historicity of Law

C. Normative Context and Development of Systems

1. Rules and Principles

2. Normative Systems

D. The Telos of Legal Rules

IV. Consequences

A. Open-Texture-Teory (Hart)

B. Right-Answer-Teory (Dworkin)

C. The Relativity of Values

V. Function of Legal Methodology

Contract Interpretation under the German BGB and under the DCFR Olaf Muthorst| Bibliography

I. Fundamentals

A. The Interpreter’s Mission: to make the contract speak

B. Interpretation of a contract under the BGB …

C. … and under the DCFR

D. To help our mission

II. General Rule: subjective or objective approach

A. The German approach

B. RGZ 99, 147 – Haaksjöringsköd

C. The DCFR approach

III. Preference rules

A. Contra proferentem and extension

B. Linguistic discrepancies

C. Favor negotii

IV. Demarcations

A. Merger clause

B. Preference for individually negotiated terms

C. Implied terms or completive interpretation?

V. Conclusions and Summary

Relevance of circumstances in which the contract was concluded to contract inter pretation under the DCFR (II. – 8:102)| Bibliography

I. Introduction

II. Contract interpretation in national systems

III. The necessity of contract interpretation

V. Circumstances in which the contract was concluded

VI. Preliminary documentation

VII. Intention and the matrix of fact

VIII. Summary and the transnational context

Iuris cogentis and iuris dispositivi provisions in contract law and in corporate law| Bibliography

I. Introduction

II. Mandatory and non-mandatory character of the provision

III. The consequences of infringement of mandatory provisions

IV. Mandatory rules in practice

V. Conclusions

Constitutional Interpretation and European Interpretation of Private Law in Germany| Bibliography

I. Introduction

II. What is Constitutional Interpretation?

1. Basic principle

2. Further development

3. Conclusion

III. Constitutional interpretation and judge-made law (“Rechtsfortbildung”)

1. Conclusion

IV. European Interpretation and judge made law

1. General assumptions

2. Judge-made law as a means of reaching conformity with EU Law?

3. The Quelle decision

V. Comparison of Constitutional and European interpretation

1. Similarities

2. Differences

a) Approach

b) Acceptance of institutions

c) Consequences of infringement

aa) Infringement of the constitution

bb) Infringement of a EU directive

VI. Conclusions

1. Range of European interpretation

2. General rule as acceptable solution

3. Demanding implementation in an individual case

List of abbreviations