Title

I.3.2 - Lex specialis-principle

Content

No. I.3.2 - Lex specialis-Principle

Specialized laws prevail over general laws ("lex specialis derogat legi generali").

Commentary

1 The Principle contains a generally recognized rule of interpretation pursuant to which the more specific provision takes precedence over the more general one.

2 The Principle is based on the presumption that, in enacting a law or drafting a contract provision, a lawmaker or contract drafter does not want to create a law or contractual provision that would be devoid of any scope of application. This would be the case if the general rule always prevailed.

References

Doctrine

Ascensio, Hervé, Principes généraux du droit, in: Rép. internat. Dalloz février 2004 at page 1 et seq.Azari, Hadi, Le critère Celebici du cumul des déclarations de culpabilité en droit pénal international, in: RSC 2007 at page 1 et seq.Brière, Carine, La Convention dite CMR prime sur la Convention de Bruxelles, in: Recueil Dalloz 2005 at page 547 et seq.Domingo, Ortega, Rodriguez-Antolin, Zambrana, Principios de Derecho Global, Navarra, 2006Girault, G., Enregistrement des interrogatoires en matière crominelle: lex specialis, Dalloz actualité 18 janvier 2010Schulze, Reiner, Gemeineuropäisches Privatrecht und Rechtsgeschichte, in: Müller-Graff (ed.), Gemeinsames Privatrecht in der Europäischen Gemeinschaft, Baden-Baden 1993, at 71 et seq.

Court Decisions

Cour de cassation chambre criminelle, No. 02-80.893, 17th December 2002EuGH C-99/01, 24th October 2002

Arbitral Awards

ICC Award No. 5946 of 1990, YCA 1991, at 97 et seq.Iran-US Claims Tribunal, Amoco Int‘l Finance Corp. v. Iran, 15 IRAN-U.S. C.T.R., at 189 et seq.