Method of logic in the law

Straipsnyje aptariamas vienas iš teisinio samprotavimo metodų - loginis metodas. Siekiama apibūdinti šį metodą, atskleisti, kokį turinį jam suteikia teisės diskurso dalyviai, atkreipti dėmesį į loginio metodo sampratos nevienareikšmiškumą. Vieni teisės diskurso dalyviai nurodo, kad savo poziciją grindžia teisine logika, vadovaujasi loginiu teisės aiškinimo metodu, kiti kritikuoja loginio metodo taikymą teisėje, tačiau paprastai nedetalizuoja, ką turi omenyje vartodami logikos, loginio metodo terminus. Kol aiškiai nepasakoma, ar logika teisėje, teisinio samprotavimo logika reiškia bendrąjį nuoseklumą ir neprieštaringumą, ar specialų, tik teisiniam diskursui būdingą samprotavimo būdą, bei neapibrėžiama, kada logika yra teisinio samprotavimo ir pačios teisės tyrimo metodas, o kada - tik taikytinas veikimo, tikslo siekimo būdas, tol teigimas, kad sprendimas priimtas vadovaujantis loginiu metodu, iškelia daugiau klausimų nei pateikia atsakymų.The purpose of the article is to investigate the role and possibilities of logic in the law and legal reasoning. The hypothesis is formulated, that there isn't a single meaning of the concept of the method of logic in the law, so legal discourse still could be vague if one just uses terms legal logic or logical method without explaining what these terms arc supposed to mean. The forms and objective reasons for interconnection between law and logic are analyzed in the first part of article. It is noticed that law and logic have similarity in objectives - there is concern about finding right, correct, just, true answer. Some kind of dualism of law-logic interconnection is pointed out: logic is a method in legal investigation, as well as law is a domain of logical investigation. Logic is also important when law is understood as system of norms, as this system could be treated as deductive theory. Further the jurisprudence of Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania, also of the other supreme courts in Lithuania, is ovcrviewed with the purpose to find what meaning and content is asserted to the concept of the method of logic in the decisions of the courts. Finally, insights of legal doctrine on law and logic are presented and assessed. Two concepts of method are used as a background in this analysis - method understood as tool for investigation, method for research and method as aim-gaining activity, method for action. It is concluded that model of syllogism, as well as deontic logic, also defeasible non-monotonic logic arc tools in legal investigation, models of expression of legal reasoning. If one speaks about method as aim-gaining activity ant points out to arguments of legal stability, adherence to existing legal norms, this method should be labeled as doctrinal method, although there are legal scholars, also in Lithuania, who labels this adherence to existing legal norms as logical method. Here the remark should be made: the last perception about logic in the law partly discords with the scientific notion of logic