the.com/jurisprudence
The theory behind the law, for people who think laws should have a reason.
means The philosophy and study of law — the big-picture thinking about what law is, where it comes from, and why it should be obeyed, as opposed to just practicing it.
from From Latin 'jurisprudentia,' a compound of 'juris' (of law, from 'jus,' right or law) and 'prudentia' (knowledge, foresight, skill — the same root that gives us 'prudent'). So literally 'knowledge of law' or 'skill in law' — the Romans needed a word for law as a learned, reasoned discipline, not just a list of rules, and this is the word they built.
- literal root
- latin for knowledge of law
- not statutes
- it studies why laws exist, not what they say
- big question
- asks whether unjust laws are still law
- courtroom use
- judges cite it when precedent runs out