eraõiguslikest

Eraõiguslikest is an Estonian term used in legal and social science to describe phenomena, actors, and norms that operate outside or beyond the formal legal system. The word combines era-, meaning outside or beyond, with õiguslik, meaning legal or lawful. In scholarly discourse, eraõiguslikkus refers to practices that are not codified by law, not adjudicated in courts, or not officially sanctioned by the state.

The concept covers a range of situations, including customary norms and informal governance, parallel or unofficial sanctions, and state actions carried out without formal due process. It is also used to describe organizational or community practices that function effectively despite lacking formal legal authorization. Eraõiguslikkuse analysis often focuses on how such practices interact with the official rule of law, and what they imply for accountability, legitimacy, and human rights.

Eraõiguslikkus is distinguished from both legality and illegality. It is about the status of actions and norms relative to formal law rather than a judgment that something is criminal. Debates around eraõiguslikkus address questions of legitimacy, proportionality, and oversight: whether informal or extralegal arrangements can be acceptable or need to be integrated into formal legal frameworks to safeguard rights and due process.

In Estonian discourse, the term appears in discussions of governance, security, and socio-legal phenomena where formal law does not fully capture social reality. Related concepts include informal institutions, customary law, and extralegal practices. See also: rule of law, informal institutions, extralegal.