Integration of Normative and Empirical Approaches in Modern Legal Research
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59261/jlsp.v4i3.143Keywords:
Law In Books, Law In Action, Socio-Legal, Legal Research Methodology, Legal GapAbstract
Background: Legal research often faces a methodological gap between law in books and law in action, which limits the understanding of why legal norms are not always effectively implemented in society.
Objective: This study aims to examine methodological challenges in modern legal research by exploring the relationship between normative and empirical approaches from a socio-legal perspective.
Methods: This study employs a normative-empirical literature-based approach using socio-legal analysis. Secondary data, including legal regulations, court decisions, and previous empirical studies, were analyzed through literature reviews and document analysis to identify gaps between legal norms and their implementation in practice.
Results: The findings demonstrate that the relationship between law in books and law in action is dynamic and frequently influenced by social, cultural, economic, and power-related factors. Normative approaches alone cannot fully explain legal realities, whereas empirical approaches may lack sufficient prescriptive orientation. A socio-legal approach provides an integrative framework by combining normative analysis, empirical inquiry, and contextual interpretation.
Conclusion: This study proposes a multi-level integrative socio-legal research design that bridges normative and empirical dimensions, enabling legal analysis to understand law not only as a system of formal rules but also as a living social practice.
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