Anvendelsesret

Anvendelsesret, or the law of application, denotes the part of legal science that deals with how legal norms are applied to real-life situations. It covers interpretation of rules and the practical implementation of normative content by courts, administrative bodies and private actors in disputes. The central concerns are interpretation methods and the conditions under which rules are applied to concrete facts.

The main interpretive methods in Danish practice are literal/grammatical interpretation, systematic interpretation, and teleological (purpose-based) interpretation, often used in combination. Anvendelsesret also addresses how to handle ambiguity, gaps, or conflicts between norms, including use of analogies and subsidiarity principles. The field thus connects the creation of rules with their concrete application.

Sources and hierarchy of norms are also central. This includes primary statutes, subordinate regulations, case law (jurisprudence), and, where relevant, EU and international law. Anvendelsesret sits between statutory drafting and case-based decision-making, informing both statutory interpretation and the practical rules for when and how a rule should be applied or departed from.

Practical importance lies in achieving predictability, coherence and fairness in legal decision-making. The doctrine guides judges, administrations and private parties in aligning factual situations with the law’s text and purpose, while accommodating evolving social contexts. In legal education, anvendesret is taught as part of juridisk metode and retsskrivning, providing foundational tools for applying rules consistently across disciplines.