jurisprudence
jurisprudence — noun
1. The academic discipline that explores the nature, purpose, and moral foundations
The academic discipline that explores the nature, purpose, and moral foundations of law, including questions about how legal rules are created, interpreted, and justified.
Trang is taking a course on jurisprudence to understand the moral foundations of criminal law.
course on jurisprudence — typical academic context
Professor Minho has written several books on feminist jurisprudence and legal theory.
Students in the law program spend their first year studying jurisprudence and constitutional theory.
During a jurisprudence lecture, Professor Okonkwo asked the class whether a dictator's law could still be considered valid.
The seminar on jurisprudence examined how judges balance fairness and strict rules.
- legal theory
More specific to the abstract principles; used interchangeably in many academic contexts
- legal philosophy
Emphasises the ethical and philosophical side of jurisprudence
- philosophy of law
Broader term that includes moral and political questions about law
文法句型
jurisprudence + of + [field]
jurisprudence as a subject
用法筆記
Frequently found in academic contexts such as law-school courses, legal-philosophy books, and scholarly articles. Very rarely used in everyday conversation.
常見錯誤
2. The complete set of legal rules, principles, and court decisions that together f
The complete set of legal rules, principles, and court decisions that together form the legal framework of a particular country, region, or area of law.
The Supreme Court's decision shaped American jurisprudence on free speech for decades.
American jurisprudence on [topic] — pattern for a country's body of law on a subject
Nikhil is studying European labour jurisprudence to compare workplace laws across countries.
The company's lawyers argued that the case was not covered by existing environmental jurisprudence.
Under English jurisprudence, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The new legislation represents a major shift in Canadian criminal jurisprudence.
- legal system
Broader term; includes courts, procedures, and institutions, not just case law
- case law
Narrower term focusing on court decisions rather than legislation
- legal doctrine
Emphasises the established principles derived from case law and statutes
文法句型
[country/region] + jurisprudence
[field] + jurisprudence
用法筆記
Almost always preceded by an adjective indicating the country, region, or field (e.g. American jurisprudence, European labour jurisprudence, environmental jurisprudence).