Custom as a Source of Law

Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Contents......Page 9
Preface......Page 11
Abbreviations......Page 15
Part One: Customary Law in Perspective......Page 19
1 Anthropology: Custom in Preliterate Societies......Page 21
Theories of Custom in the Law of Preliterate Societies......Page 22
Proof, Applications, and Evolutions of Preliterate Custom......Page 29
Transitions from Preliterate to Literate Legal Cultures......Page 32
2 Culture: The Western Legal Tradition of Positivism......Page 34
Custom in Roman Law......Page 35
Custom in the Medieval ius Commune......Page 40
Custom and the Historical School......Page 43
3 History: The Common Law and Custom......Page 45
The Pre-Blackstonian Epoch......Page 46
Blackstone’s Customary Moment......Page 48
Blackstone’s Influence: Bentham and American Common Law......Page 55
Custom as Functional......Page 60
Custom as Social Control......Page 62
Custom as Efficient......Page 66
Custom as Antilaw......Page 69
Part Two: Custom in Domestic Legal Systems......Page 73
5 Family Law......Page 75
Customary Family Law as “Invented Tradition”......Page 76
Customary Family Law in Pluralistic Legal Systems......Page 79
Transforming Customary Family Law......Page 82
6 Property......Page 86
Indigenous Custom and Property Rights......Page 87
Customary Easements and the Paradox of Judicial Takings......Page 93
7 Contracts......Page 98
The Common Law of Commercial Custom......Page 99
Llewellyn’s Moment: The UCC’s Codification of Trade Custom......Page 102
The Post-Llewellyn Reaction......Page 106
8 Torts......Page 109
Custom as a Sword and Shield in Tort......Page 110
Custom and Negligence, Efficiency and Public Policy......Page 115
English Constitutional Custom......Page 119
“Under Color of … Custom” and Official Authority......Page 123
“Practical Construction” and Separation-of-Powers Disputes......Page 126
Part Three: Custom in International Law......Page 133
10 Private International Law: International Commercial Usage......Page 135
Historical Roots of the lex Mercatoria and lex Maritima......Page 136
The Positivist Revolution and Cross-Border Trade Usages......Page 139
International Trade Usages in Anglo-American Case-Law......Page 142
Usage in International Codifications......Page 147
Commercial Custom and the “New” Lex Mercatoria......Page 149
11 Public International Law: Custom Among Nations......Page 153
Trends and Moments for Customary International Law......Page 156
Formation of Customary International Law......Page 162
Regional and Special Custom; Acquiescence and Objection......Page 169
Customary International Law and Treaties......Page 173
Change and Death for Customary International Law......Page 177
A New Synthesis for Customary International Law......Page 179
False Constraints on Custom......Page 186
The Elements of Custom......Page 189
Custom’s True Limits......Page 192
Custom’s Deep Jurisprudential Foundations......Page 197
1. Anthropology......Page 201
2. Culture......Page 207
3. History......Page 213
4. Economics, Sociobiology, and Psychology......Page 223
5. Family Law......Page 227
6. Property......Page 233
7. Contracts......Page 237
8. Torts......Page 242
9. Constitutional Law......Page 244
10. Private International Law......Page 250
11. Public International Law......Page 257
Conclusion......Page 271
Index......Page 275