Economic Reasoning and Judicial Opinion-making Towards more quality control of government by judges

Abstract

I have had the honour and the pleasure of cooperating with Claus Ott during the twelve years that the European Erasmus programme of law and eco nomics has been rnnning—a time span long enough to get to know Claus as one of the best ‘products’ of the much-reputed German academic fabric: gentle and respectful in his collegial relationships, reliable in his commit menu and above all, driven by a thirst for scientific insight on the highest level. Although he did not start his impressive career in the field of Law and Economics, but rather as a ‘classical’ jurist, he did not hesitate to lend lus prestige to this young branch of legal science and, in so doing, to give it the necessary boost to climb the academic ladder in the German-speaking intellectual world. To be invited to write in lus ‘liber amicorum’ is, need it be emphasised, a privilege for me.

„ Der Richter sollte nicht durch einen Autoritären oder suggestiven Urteilsstil Sicherheit zu verbreiten suchen, die es in einer Welt notorischer Ungewissheit nicht geben kann. Wir brauchen deshalb den Richter, der den in Präjudizien angelegten Erfahrungsschatz gewissenhaft auswertet, der den Argumentationsprozess durch die Einbeziehung von Tatsachenmaterial konkret macht und der mutig genug ist, auch dort mit offenen Karten zu spielen, wo erwas unvermeidlich ist- Wertungsakte vornimmt“ Hein Kötz, Die Begründung höchtsrichterliche Urteile, Preadvies Nederlandse Vereniging voor Rechsvergelijking nr. 32, kluwer Deventer