Five Shades of Grey – A Linguistic and Pragmatic Approach to Treaty Interpretation

Benedikt Pirker; Jennifer Smolka

doi:10.17104/0044-2348-2022-1-121

Contents
- Chapter Expand | CollapseAuthorsPage
- Titelei/Inhaltsverzeichnis
- 1–10 Comment 1–10
  - The Abraham Accords and the Economic Dimension of Peace in the Middle East Achilles Skordas Achilles Skordas
- 11–18 Nachrufe 11–18
  - 11–16 Professor Dr. Dr. h. c. Rudolf Bernhardt (1925 – 2021) Michael Bothe, Rainer Hofmann Michael Bothe, Rainer Hofmann 11–16
  - 17–18 Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Rudolf Bernhardt (1925 – 2021) Jerzy Kranz Jerzy Kranz 17–18
- 19–254 Abhandlungen 19–254
  - 19–46 Menschenrechte und Mehrheiten Frank Schorkopf Frank Schorkopf 19–46
  - 47–72 Internationaler Klimaschutz mithilfe nationaler Verfas- sungsgerichte? Erkenntnisse aus dem Klimabeschluss des BVerfG Jannika Jahn Jannika Jahn 47–72
  - 73–120 Völkerrechtlicher Investitionsschutz made in Germany? Zur Genese und Gestalt des ersten BIT zwischen Deutschland und Pakistan (1959) Ingo Venzke, Philipp Günther Ingo Venzke, Philipp Günther 73–120
  - 121–158 Five Shades of Grey – A Linguistic and Pragmatic Approach to Treaty Interpretation Benedikt Pirker, Jennifer Smolka Benedikt Pirker, Jennifer Smolka 121–158
  - 159–194 The Immunisation against COVID-19 as a Global Public Good Jelena Bäumler, Julieta Sarno Jelena Bäumler, Julieta Sarno 159–194
  - 195–222 Jurisdiction Beyond Territorial Sovereignty: Defining the Scope of Exclusive Flag-State Jurisdiction Under Art. 92 UNCLOS Giuliana Lampo Giuliana Lampo 195–222
  - 223–254 Governing Without Being in Power? Controversial Promises for a New Transition to the Rule of Law in Hungary Beáta Bakó Beáta Bakó 223–254
- 255–278 Buchbesprechungen 255–278
  - 255–260 Van Hulle, Inge: Britain and International Law in West Africa. The Practice of Empire Jakob Zollmann Jakob Zollmann 255–260
  - 261–264 Gebeye, Berihun Adugna: A Theory of African Constitutionalism Rainer Grote Rainer Grote 261–264
  - 265–268 Markus, Till: Rechtsvergleichung im Völkerrecht Peter Hilpold Peter Hilpold 265–268
  - 269–278 Van Harten, Gus: The Trouble with Foreign Investment Protection Martin Jarrett Martin Jarrett 269–278
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Zeitschrift für ausländisches öffentliches Recht und Völkerrecht / Heidelberg Journal of International Law , page 121 - 158

Five Shades of Grey – A Linguistic and Pragmatic Approach to Treaty Interpretation

Autoren

Benedikt Pirker Jennifer Smolka

DOI
- doi.org/10.17104/0044-2348-2022-1-121
- ISSN: 0044-2348
- ISSN online: 2942-3562
Abstract

In the context of treaty interpretation, new insights from research on language meaning (semantics and pragmatics) offer possibilities for categorising meaning with increased precision. Based on a typology of pragmatic interpretations, the present paper develops a five-step system of categorisation for the grey area ranging from cases where a treaty seems to be silent to cases where the Vienna Convention’s general rule on interpretation can still be applied because there is treaty text to be interpreted. The paper explains the typology and uses examples from international law to demonstrate its usefulness in dealing with situations of varying degrees of explicitness of treaty texts. While pragmatics cannot offer a miracle solution, it provides tests that interpreting agents can apply to categorise interpretations on the continuum between clear ordinary meaning cases and cases of treaty silence. It thereby also becomes clearer what exact arguments an interpreting agent needs to provide to bolster a particular interpretation as sufficiently related to the common intentions of the treaty parties.
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