Juridiskā formālisma izpratne un nozīme Eiropas tiesību teorijā

In the Latvian legal system, legal formalism is identified as an undesirable approach to the application of law, which is detrimental to the realisation of the fundamental values of the rule of law. Aldis Laviņš, Chair of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia, stressed that “formalism is one of the enemies of democracy and the rule of law that should be fought.” Aigars Strupišs, Chair of the Supreme Court, has pointed out that formalism is an integral part of jurisprudence, however, “excessive legal formalism, behind which the essence of a judgment is lost, degrades the judiciary and the rule of law.” Although it is acknowledged that legal formalism is a challenge for the Latvian legal system, there is no in-depth research in legal science on its theoretical basis in European legal theory, its permissible limits of application and its compatibility with the protection of the values of the rule of law, which would allow not only to understand the origin and features of the complication referred to, but also to assess the possibility of using legal formalism, so as not to unduly deny the application of a potentially useful legal instrument in ensuring the rule of law. The aim of the article is to analyse the understanding and meaning of legal formalism in European legal theory, to specify its concept, features and functionality, as well as to identify the limits of its application in the legal system. The study was developed using descriptive, historical, deductive, inductive and comparative research methods.