Õigusteaduslik

Õigusteaduslik is an Estonian adjective describing matters related to jurisprudence or the science of law. It is formed from õigus (law) and teadus (science) with the suffix -lik, and is used to denote theoretical and methodological aspects of law rather than its practical application.

In academic usage, õigusteaduslik refers to texts, arguments, or approaches that address the nature, sources, justification, and interpretation of legal norms. It covers areas such as legal philosophy, normative theory, and conceptual analysis, focusing on how law ought to be understood and reasoned, rather than on everyday legal practice or case-specific rulings.

The field encompasses questions about what law is, how legal authority is established, how legal reasoning operates, what counts as a valid source of law, and how rights and duties are conceptualized. Õigusteaduslik work often involves normative considerations, comparative analysis, and discussions of legal interpretation, sometimes intersecting with moral philosophy and political theory.

In contrast to empirical or doctrinal legal studies that examine how laws function in society or how statutes are applied, õigusteaduslik inquiry emphasizes theory, method, and the general structure of legal systems. In Estonian academic contexts, the term is used to categorize scholarly work that aims at general legal theory and systematic understanding of law, and it commonly appears in university law faculties, journals, and theses.