Volume 99, Issue 3, Summer 2025
Valentin Braekman
Pages 433-455
https://doi.org/10.5840/acpq2025818322
The Principle of Publicity in Su¨¢rez¡¯s Institutionalist Theory of Law
This article argues that Su¨¢rez advocates for an institutionalist theory of law grounded in a ¡°principle of publicity.¡± According to this principle, all law, regardless of its nature, derives from a public power¡ªa sovereign authority that is both legislative and executive. For Su¨¢rez, no law exists unless it is instituted by a public power through a promulgation procedure. In this framework, the principle of publicity applies universally, encompassing civil, divine, canonical, natural, and international law, each enacted by a sovereign authority within its respective order. The universality of this principle, rooted in the existence of public authorities across all legal systems, underscores its foundational role in Su¨¢rez¡¯s theory and establishes publicity as a defining feature of all law.