Incorporation of complex doctrinal theories in a model of statutory interpretation: an example of adequate causal link

Abstract

This paper shows how a complex legal doctrinal theory (the doctrine of causation in law) may be represented in a semi-formal, two-layered model of statutory interpretation. The content of the theory is clarified by the proposed knowledge representation. It is argued that doctrinal theories in the reading proposed here are a source of intermediate legal concepts and, in consequence, of rules that enable the judge to argue efficiently in complex cases without entering into wider considerations involving case-based reasoning structures.