Revisiting Contract Interpretation in Light of Critical Legal Studies
Keywords:
: Contract interpretation, Critical Legal Studies, interpretive justice, textualism, contextualism, formalismAbstract
Contract interpretation is regarded as one of the most significant yet controversial topics in the field of civil law and obligations, and it has consistently attracted the attention of legal scholars from both theoretical and practical perspectives. The growing complexity of contractual relationships, the emergence of standard-form and adhesion contracts, and structural inequalities between contracting parties have further intensified the need to reassess conventional interpretive rules. The central question of this study is how the rules of contract interpretation can be reread and redefined in light of Critical Legal Studies. To address this question, adopting a comparative approach, judicial decisions and interpretive structures in four legal systems—Iran, France, England, and the United States—are examined. The findings indicate that interpretive rules, contrary to the traditional view, possess value-laden, ideological, and power-oriented characteristics. The study also reveals that these legal systems, to varying degrees, are undergoing a transition from text-centered interpretation toward context-sensitive and justice-oriented approaches. In Iranian law, the absence of codified regulations has been compensated for by a dynamic judicial practice, strengthening the tendency toward equitable interpretation. French law, through recent legislative reforms, has institutionalized interpretive justice by emphasizing the protection of the weaker party. In England, the integration of commercial rationality with textual fidelity has produced a more moderate model of interpretation; however, the legal system of the United States, by maintaining formal contractualism, has constrained the scope of interpretive justice. The innovation of this research lies in its integration of critical approaches with comparative studies to uncover the hidden mechanisms of power embedded in interpretive rules and to propose an analytical framework for redefining interpretive justice.
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