Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Nordic Legal Mind

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Nordic Law in European Context

Part of the book series: Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice ((IUSGENT,volume 73))

Abstract

In the following, peculiarities of the Nordic legal systems and legal thinking, are discussed. Common features of the legal systems are based both on history (on a certain historical delay in comparison to many other European countries) and legal cooperation. The active legal cooperation, started in the 1870s, not only has a long history. It has also achieved many concrete results, common legal norms as an example. Often, Nordic peculiarities of legal thinking are described by using such expressions as pragmatism, realism, absence of formality, transparency and equality. These values have also been cornerstones of the Nordic cooperation. They also explain a certain reluctance towards trends and policies within the EU. Even today, Nordic lawyers prioritise flexibility in law-making (with discrete acts) above creating a codified private law system (with a civil code).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Zweigert and Kötz (1998), Husa (2004) and Husa (2015); see also Husa et al. (2007).

  2. 2.

    Tamm (1972) and Carsten (1973).

  3. 3.

    Since the first meeting of Nordic lawyers in Copenhagen in 1872, these have been held every three years except for the periods between 1903–1918 and 1938–1947. The latest meeting (Helsinki 2017) was attended by around 900 lawyers—judges, civil servants, practising lawyers and legal scholars—from all the Nordic countries. To enhance their importance for general debate on law, since the first meetings conference papers, talks and partly also discussions among participants have been printed and published. See http://www.nordisktjuristmote.org/.

  4. 4.

    Smits (2007) and Matteucci (1956).

  5. 5.

    Matteucci (1956).

  6. 6.

    When the first Nordic lawyers’ meeting was convened, the invitation stressed that because of a common understanding of law and of the common origin of many legal institutions, it was only natural that development of those institutions would need common action. The topics mentioned for cooperation were the law of commerce and issues of court procedure in civil and penal matters. During the first meeting in 1872, the question was raised of common Nordic legislation on commercial instruments of payment such as the bill of exchange, which was a means of getting short credit. This was successfully followed up by Nordic statutes; Carsten (1993).

  7. 7.

    Common law here in the meaning of Glenn (2005).

  8. 8.

    See further Bärlund and Moegelvang-Hansen in this volume.

  9. 9.

    See further Lund-Andersen and Kronborg in this volume.

  10. 10.

    Lidbom (1973) and Modéer (1998).

  11. 11.

    Se further Bärlund and Moegelvang-Hansen in this volume. On differences in regulation of registred partnership see further Lund-Andersen and Kronborg in this volume.

  12. 12.

    See e.g. Letto-Vanamo (1998) and Bernitz (2000). See also Letto-Vanamo (2013).

  13. 13.

    See Wetterberg (2010) and Wenander (2014).

  14. 14.

    The explorer spirit of Nordic cooperation, active in the 1870s–1930s and again when Nordic legislative cooperation was revitalized after World War II, is no longer present on the same scale. At the meeting of Nordic lawyers in 2005 the question whether Nordic legal cooperation had any further role to play actually came under discussion, with the conclusion that more fuel was necessary if this “Nordic dimension” was to maintain its position, Dahl (2005). Four years later a proposal was launched for more effective Nordic cooperation in implementing European (EU/EEA) legislation. Buskjær Christensen and Fenger (2009).

  15. 15.

    The newest initiative Backer (2018).

  16. 16.

    Tamm and Slottved (2009) and Björne (2002). See also Tamm et al. (2011).

  17. 17.

    See Tamm (1984).

  18. 18.

    Tamm (2011).

  19. 19.

    See Wagner (1986).

  20. 20.

    Today, Finland has two official languages, Finnish and Swedish; For instance, legislation is always published in both languages. Thus, in the following chapters references to the legislation in Finland can be found both in Finnish and Swedish.

  21. 21.

    In the so-called Russification period during the decades before and after 1900, still during the autonomous period, legalism was a concept that referred to retaining Swedish legislation that was (still) in force in Finland as a symbol of “the rule of law”.

  22. 22.

    See further Husa in this volume.

  23. 23.

    Wilhelmsson (1985).

  24. 24.

    Carsten (1993).

  25. 25.

    For participants from Finland, however, this means only the Swedish language. The Finnish language belongs among Indo-European languages and cannot be understood on the basis of knowledge of the other Nordic languages.

  26. 26.

    Early results of this Nordic identity included the Nordic legal encyclopaedia (Nordisk Retsencyklopedi 1878–1899) and the Nordic journal Tidskrift for Retsvidenskab (today Tidsskrift for Rettsvitenskap, 1888–).

  27. 27.

    See further Petersen and Niemi in this volume.

  28. 28.

    Tamm (2010).

  29. 29.

    See further Sunde and Nylund in this volume.

  30. 30.

    See further Mäenpää and Fenger in this volume.

  31. 31.

    Wilhelmsson (1994). See also further Bärlund and Moegelvang-Hansen in this volume.

  32. 32.

    Stenius (2013).

  33. 33.

    Letto-Vanamo (2014a, b).

  34. 34.

    Tax law and social security complaints in Denmark and Norway are also decided by organs similar to ordinary courts. In these fields more similarities exist between the Nordic countries than in other parts of the complaints system.

  35. 35.

    See further Sunde and Nylund in this volume.

  36. 36.

    Zweigert and Kötz (1998).

  37. 37.

    Wind and Føllesdal (2009); see also further Husa in this volume.

  38. 38.

    See further Lappi-Seppälä and Nuotio in this volume.

  39. 39.

    See further Modéer (2005).

  40. 40.

    Tamm (2011), pp. 135–139.

  41. 41.

    In family law especial objects of cooperation were marriage and divorce, property relations between spouses, guardianship and the relationship between parents and children. See further Lund-Andersen and Kronborg in this volume.

  42. 42.

    In the field of civil law the most important results of Nordic cooperation were nearly identical statutes on sale, agency, and on the conclusion and nullity (non-validity) of contracts. See further Bärlund and Moegelvang-Hansen in this volume.

  43. 43.

    Still, in 1948 the Danish law professor, Frederik Vinding Kruse, also acting on his own initiative, presented to the Nordic lawyers’ meeting a draft of a Nordic civil code, and in 1962 a second draft.

  44. 44.

    Links do exist between Nordic law and the so-called “civil law family” represented e.g. by German law. But Nordic cooperation was still an important feature in creating and maintaining a way of legal thinking—and legal style—different from the highly abstract German approach.

  45. 45.

    E.g. Montgomery (1889) and Lassen (1892).

  46. 46.

    Tamm (1978).

  47. 47.

    Pihlajamäki (2004) and Björne (2007).

  48. 48.

    Influences in legal thinking were closely connected to Finnish philosophy of the 1960s and 1970s (e.g. von Wright and Hintikka), which was strongly influenced by Anglo-American analytical philosophy.

  49. 49.

    The most important changes in Finnish society can be dated to as late as the 1970s. Since then it has become possible to speak of a welfare (social) state. The decade was characterised by various democratization and modernisation procedures: for instance, reforms to the school system, university education, and part of the court system. Approximation of legal science to other social sciences was required in terms of legal education at universities. Moreover, trends in legal research changed, visible e.g. in dissertations and other academic works pointing out the “social dimension” of law.

  50. 50.

    Tuori (2010), pp. 151–153.

  51. 51.

    Boucht (1999).

  52. 52.

    Wiklund (1987) and Petrén (1983). See also Wiklund (2000).

  53. 53.

    See further Lappi-Seppälä and Nuotio in this volume.

  54. 54.

    Träskman (2012).

  55. 55.

    Wenander (2014).

  56. 56.

    Wilhelmsson (2005).

  57. 57.

    Dahl (2005). See also Olsen and Svedrup (1998).

  58. 58.

    Backer (2018).

  59. 59.

    Buskjær Christensen and Fenger (2009).

References

  • Backer IL (2018) Styrket nordisk lovsamarbeid: Muligheter og utfordringer. Nordisk ministerråd, Copenhagen

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernitz U (2000) Nordic legislative cooperation in the new Europe—a challenge for the Nordic Countries in the EU perspective. Stockholm Inst Scand Law 39:39–45

    Google Scholar 

  • Björne L (2002) Den konstruktiva riktningen—Den nordiska rättsvetenskapens historia, Del III, 1871–1910. Institutet for rättshistorisk forskning, Lund

    Google Scholar 

  • Björne L (2007) Realism och skandinavisk realism—Den nordiska rättsvetenskapens historia, Del IV, 1911–1950. Institutet for rättshistorisk forskning, Lund

    Google Scholar 

  • Boucht J (1999) De nordiska juristmötena och rättsgemenskapen i Norden. Defensor Legis 5:748–775

    Google Scholar 

  • Buskjær Christensen M, Fenger N (2009) Nordisk samarbejde om gennemførelse af EU- og EØS-lovgivning. Realiteter og perspektiver. TemaNord 2009. Nordisk ministerråd, Copenhagen, p 575

    Google Scholar 

  • Carsten G (1973) Hundert Jahre Nordischer Juristentag: 1872–1972. Rabels Zeitschrift für ausländisches und internationales Privatrecht (Rabel J Comp Int Priv Law), pp 80–100

    Google Scholar 

  • Carsten G (1993) Europäische Integration und nordische Zusammenarbeit auf dem Gebiet des Zivilrechts. Zeitschrift für europäisches Zivilrecht, pp 335–348

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahl B (2005) Har det nordiske lovsamarbejde udspillet sin rolle? In Árnason RT (ed) Forhandlingerne ved, Det 37. nordiske jurismøde i Reykjavík, Band 1, 18–20 Aug 2005, pp 155–173

    Google Scholar 

  • Glenn HP (2005) On common laws. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Husa J (2004) Classification of legal families today. Rev Droit Comp 56:11–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Husa J (2015) A new introduction to comparative law. Hart Publishing, Oxford

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Husa J, Nuotio K, Pihlajamäki H (eds) (2007) Nordic law—between tradition and dynamism, Ius commune: European and comparative law series, vol 66. Intersentia, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Lassen J (1892) Haanbog i obligationsretten—Almindelig Del. Gad, Copenhagen

    Google Scholar 

  • Letto-Vanamo P (ed) (1998) Nordisk Identitet. Institutet för internationell ekonomisk rätt, Helsinki

    Google Scholar 

  • Letto-Vanamo P (2013) Nordische Rechtsgeschichte—eine europäische variante? Z Neuere Rechts 35:112–124

    Google Scholar 

  • Letto-Vanamo P (2014a) Nordic democracy facing the EU: traditions, myths and challenges. In: Fichera M, Hänninen S, Tuori K (eds) Polity and crisis. Reflections on the European Odyssey. Ashgate, Farnham, pp 217–234

    Google Scholar 

  • Letto-Vanamo P (2014b) Judicial dispute resolution and its many alternatives: the Nordic experience. In: Zekoll J, Bälz M, Amelung I (eds) Formalisation and flexibilisation in dispute resolution. Brill, Leiden, pp 151–164

    Google Scholar 

  • Lidbom C (1973) Den nordiska rättsenhetens problem idag. Svensk Juristtidning, pp 273–278

    Google Scholar 

  • Matteucci M (1956) The Scandinavian legislative co-operation as a model for a European co-operation. In The Swedish Branch of the International Law Association, The Swedish Association for International Maritime Law (eds) Liber Amicorum to Algot Bagge. Stockholm, Norstedt, pp 136–145

    Google Scholar 

  • Modeer KÅ (1998) Nordisk juristkultur en del av rättskulturen—Förändring och stabilitet. In: Letto-Vanamo P (ed) Nordisk identitet. Nordisk rätt i europeisk gemenskap. Institutet för internationell ekonomisk rätt, Helsinki, pp 1–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Modéer KÅ (2005) Renässans för den nordiske juristen? Tidskrift utgiven av Juridiska Föreningen i Finland, pp 58–70

    Google Scholar 

  • Montgomery R (1889) Handbok i Finlands allmänna privaträtt I. G. W. Edlund, Helsinki

    Google Scholar 

  • Olsen JP, Svedrup BO (eds) (1998) Europa i Norden: Europeisering av nordisk samarbeid. Oslo, Tano

    Google Scholar 

  • Petrén G (1983) Helsingforsöverenskommelsens tillkomst. Nordisk Tidskrift för vetenskap, konst och industri, pp 62–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Pihlajamäki H (2004) Against metaphysics in law: the historical background of American and Scandinavian legal realism compared. Am J Comp Law 52(2):469–488

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smits J (2007) Nordic law in European context. Some comparative observations. In Husa J, Nuotio K, Pihlajamäki H, Nordic law—between tradition and dynamism, Ius commune: European and comparative law series, vol 66. Cambridge, Intersentia, pp 55–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Stenius H (2013) A Nordic conceptual universe. In: Haggren H, Rainio-Niemi J, Vauhkonen J (eds) Multi-layered historicity of the present—approaches to social science history. University of Helsinki, Department of Political and Economic Studies, Helsinki, pp 93–104

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamm D (1978) Anders Sandøe Ørsted and the influence from civil law upon Danish private law at the beginning of the 19th century. Scand Stud Law 22:243–265

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamm D (1984) The Danish code of 1683: an early European code in an international context. Scand Stud Law 28:163–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamm D (2011) The history of Danish law: selected articles and bibliography. Copenhagen, Djøf

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamm D, Andersen P, Vogt H (eds) (2011) How Nordic are the Nordic medieval laws: proceedings from the first Carlsberg conference on medieval legal history. Copenhagen, Djøf

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamm D, Slottved E (2009) The University of Copenhagen: a Danish centre of learning since 1479. University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamm H (1972) De nordiske juristmøder 1872–1972—Nordisk retssamvirke gennem 100 år. Nyt nordisk Forlag Arnold Busck, Copenhagen

    Google Scholar 

  • Tuori K (2010) Ratio and Voluntas: the tension between reason and will in law. Ashgate, Burlington

    Google Scholar 

  • Träskman P (2012) Finsk, svensk och nordisk straffrätt—och den europeiska—några reflektioner. In Hyttinen T (ed) Rikoksesta ja rangaistuksesta. Juhlajulkaisu Pekka Viljanen 1952. Turku, Turun yliopisto, 26 Aug 2012, pp 257–270

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagner W (1986) Das schwedische Reichsgesetzbuch (Sveriges Rikes Lag) von 1734. Klostermann, Frankfurt am Main

    Google Scholar 

  • Wenander H (2014) Fri rörlighet i Norden. Nordiska gränshinder i rättslig belysning. Juristförlaget, Lund

    Google Scholar 

  • Wetterberg G (2010) The United Nordic Federation, Tema Nord 583. Copenhagen, Nordiska ministerrådet. Available www.norden.org/fi/julkaisut/julkaisut/2010-583. Accessed 21 June 2108

  • Wiklund C (1987) Helsingforsöverenskommelsens tillkomst. Nordisk Tidskrift för vetenskap, konst och industri, pp 328–343

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiklund C (2000) 1962 års Helsingforsavtal—den första heltäckande nordiska samarbetstraktaten. In: Sundelius B, Wiklund C (eds) Norden i sicksack—Tre spårbyten inom nordiskt samarbete. Santérus Förlag, Stockholm, pp 91–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilhelmsson T (1985) Den nordiska rättsgemenskapen och rättskälleläran. Tidsskirft for rettsvitenskap, pp 181–197

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilhelmsson T (1994) Social contract law and European integration. Aldershot, Dartmouth

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilhelmsson T (2005) Det bristfälliga nordiska lagstiftningssamarbetet och Helsingfors-fördraget. Nordiska ministerrådet, Lagstiftningspolitik—Nordiskt seminarium om lagstiftningspolitik, TemaNord 516. Nordiska ministerrådet, Copenhagen, pp 117–127

    Google Scholar 

  • Wind M, Føllesdal A (eds) (2009) Nordic reluctance towards judicial review under siege. Nord J Hum Rts 27(2):131–141

    Google Scholar 

  • Zweigert K, Kötz H (1998) An introduction to comparative law. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Pia Letto-Vanamo

  2. Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Ditlev Tamm

Authors
  1. Pia Letto-Vanamo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ditlev Tamm
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pia Letto-Vanamo .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Pia Letto-Vanamo

  2. University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Ditlev Tamm

  3. University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

    Bent Ole Gram Mortensen

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Letto-Vanamo, P., Tamm, D. (2019). Nordic Legal Mind. In: Letto-Vanamo, P., Tamm, D., Gram Mortensen, B.O. (eds) Nordic Law in European Context. Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice, vol 73. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03006-3_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03006-3_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-03005-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-03006-3

  • eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation