Rechtsfolge

Rechtsfolge is a term used in law to denote the legally prescribed consequence that follows a given situation once the relevant facts have been established or a rule has been violated. It represents the normative end result that the legal order attaches to a specific set of circumstances.

In civil law, the Rechtsfolge typically concerns remedies and duties that arise from contract or delict. For example, a breach of contract may trigger duties such as performance, damages, or the right to withdraw from the contract. In the law of obligations, the Rechtsfolge determines how liability is allocated and what remedies are available to the aggrieved party. In delictive (tort) law, the Rechtsfolge often consists of compensation for harm and restoration where possible.

In criminal law, the Rechtsfolge is the penalty imposed after the elements of an offense are established, such as imprisonment, a fine, or other sanctions. The concept also appears in administrative or regulatory contexts, where the Rechtsfolge may be fines, permits being revoked, or other enforceable restrictions.

The Rechtsfolge is distinguished from the factual Tatbestand (the set of facts or conditions) and, in many systems, from the assessment of illegality or fault. It can be statutory (provided by law), contractual (agreed in a contract), or derived from general principles of justice. Different branches of law specify distinct Rechtsfolgen for similar patterns of behavior.

Overall, Rechtsfolge is a central concept in legal reasoning, linking the occurrence of a condition or breach to a concrete, enforceable consequence within the legal order.