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ChapterI.ThePhenomenonofNegotiations
Theopen-endednessoflegalinterpretationisequivalenttotheopen-
endednessoflegalnegotiations.Ifweacceptedtheonerightanswer
thesis,anyconceptionoflegalnegotiationswouldbesenseless.But
inhardcaseswearedealingwithsomequestionsandsomepossible
answersthespacebetweenthequestionofinterpretationandits
possibleanswersisthelnegotiationspace’.
Thethesespertainingtotheopen-endednessoflegalinterpre-
tationandtothedefinitionoflawasalnegotiablephenomenon’
mutuallyreinforceeachother.Ontheonehand,legalinterpretation
isopen-endedasthelawhasanegotiablestructure;ontheother,ifone
assumesthattheprimarysenseofthelawisnegotiating,oneneeds
toaccepttheopen-endednessoflegalinterpretation.Indeed,weare
reachingoutheretothesameepistemologicalandontologicalintui-
tions.Theopen-endednessoflegalinterpretationgivestheinterpreter
unlimitedfreedom.Ofcourse,suchaclaimwouldundoubtedlybe
rejectedbyadherentsofthepositivistparadigm.Theproblemlies,
however,inthequestionofwhetherthepositivistparadigmisthe
onlyacceptableone.Yetdoesthenegotiatorpossessunlimitedfree-
dom?Apositiveanswertothisquestionrequiresfurthercomment.
Wearefullyawareofthenumerouslimitationsimposedonthein-
terpreterby,interalia,theiuscogenslegalrules.Thefreedomofan
interpreter(oranegotiator)ischaracteristic,however,oftheinitial
phaseofconflictresolution:thephaseofnegotiations,drivenbythe
criteriaofrightness,efficacyoreconomicefficiency.Itistheconsecu-
tivephasewhichismoreformal(dogmatic).Itservestoensurethat
theagreementreachedcomplieswithexistinglegalregulations.In
negotiationsonetakesintoaccountvariousreasons,ofwhichthelegal
areonlyonetype.Thesearchforanoptimalsolutionmaybeguided
bylegal,butalsoethical,psychologicaloreconomicjustifications.
Itisinthisspace,andonlythis,thatthenegotiatorhasunlimited
freedom.Thisstance,however,cannotbeacceptedbylegalpositiv-
istssincepositivismmakesusreasonintermsofalegalrulenot
thecaseinterpreted.Theprocessofinterpretationisconfinedtothe
establishmentofthelreal’orlintended’meaningofalegalrule.In
consequence,thenegotiationspacedisappears;everythingisdeter-
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