Multicentrism as an Emerging Paradigm in Legal Theory

The contemporary legal theory is gradually departing from traditional theory of the hierarchical legal system. Some authors announce the supposed death of the concept of law within the state. The so-called multicentrism might become an attractive alternative to the traditional monocentric approach. The essence of multicentrism may be characterized as coexistence of many adjudicating bodies, especially courts, whose verdicts are equally effective within the national legal system. Such a situation takes place e. g. within the European legal area where multicentrism could be perceived as the existence of «sensitive» liaisons, entanglements and relations of dependence between the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, the European Court of Justice in Luxemburg and national (especially constitutional) courts in member states. The coexistence of many centres of adjudication may thus become a constant feature of the system of regional and global law.

The Editors: Marek Zirk-Sadowski is Professor of the Theory and Philosophy of Law at the University of ?ód? (Poland), the Vice-president of the Polish Supreme Administrative Court and Vice-president of IVR. Mariusz Golecki is Assisstant Professor at the University of ?ód? and from 2008 to 2009 Visiting Scholar at the Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge. Bartosz Wojciechowski is Assisstant Professor at the Unversity of ?ód? and Advisor of the International Journal for the Semiotics of Law.

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