CONFERENCE
“In a democratic state governed by the rule of law, only those who understand legal methodology have the right to make decisions affecting the lives of others,” emphasizes Professor Dr. iur. Daiga Rezevska, highlighting the crucial role of legal methods in upholding the rule of law. The monograph “The Study of Legal Methods” is a significant contribution to Latvian legal theory, higher education, and the practice of law – serving as a reliable guide for both academic study and legal work. It brings together the most essential and current knowledge on the application of legal methods.
The monograph systematically presents eight steps in the application of legal norms – from establishing the factual circumstances of a case to reaching a well-reasoned and fair decision. Each step is covered in a separate chapter, explaining the respective legal methods, the underlying theoretical approaches, and analyzing practical examples. The eight chapters explore in detail the determination of facts, identification of applicable legal norms, verification of legal norms, interpretation of legal content, resolution of legal norm conflicts, development of the law, subsumption, and the drafting of decisions. The content integrates analysis of Latvian and foreign case law as well as insights from legal theorists.
The monograph was developed by Professor Dr. iur. Daiga Rezevska together with her doctoral students, whose dissertations she supervised – Associate Professor and Supreme Court Justice Dr. iur. Jānis Pleps, Lecturer and Attorney-at-Law Dr. iur. Ginta Krūkle, Dr. iur. Māris Onževs, Attorney-at-Law Dr. iur. Gundega Miķelsone, and Lecturer Kalvis Engīzers. The book reflects a unified and coherent legal school perspective, based on a shared understanding of the nature and methodology of law.
