The unbearable lightness of nuclear jurisprudence

Abstract

The nature of nuclear law as a peculiar legal discipline has been discussed in academic scholarship since the early 1960s. A special system of principles has emerged in this field, which clearly distinguishes nuclear law from other areas of law. At the same time, there is a tacit consensus in legal academia that nuclear law represents a special (sub)discipline of energy law. Reflecting the current debate, discussing (a claimed) ‘immaturity’ of energy law, this contribution argues that energy law is obviously composed of several (sub)disciplines which are in various stages of development and different degrees of academic recognition. Thus, this article argues that rather than perceiving energy law as a coherent discipline, we must consider it an amalgam of various (sub)disciplines governing different sources of energy.

Keywords:

• energy law
• nuclear law
• Modern Energy Law Movement
• academic discipline
• energy jurisprudence

Notes

1 Kaisa Huhta, ʻThe Coming of Age of Energy Jurisprudence', Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law https://doi.org/10.1080/02646811.2020.1810958 accessed 21 September 2020

2 Ibid, 13.

3 Adrian J. Bradbrook, ʻEnergy Law as an Academic Discipline' (1996) 14 Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law 193.

4 Donald N. Zillman, ʻEvolution of Modern Energy Law: A Personal Retrospective' (2012) 30 Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law 485; Adrian J. Bradbrook, ʻSustainable Energy Law: The Past and the Future' (2012) 30 Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law 511–21, Raphael J. Heffron and Kim Talus, ʻThe Evolution of Energy Law and Energy Jurisprudence: Insights for Energy Analysts and Researchers' (2016) 19 Energy Research & Social Science 1; Alexandra Wawryk, ʻInternational Energy Law: An Emerging Academic Discipline' in Paul Babie and Paul Leadbeter (eds), Law as Change: Engaging with the Life and Scholarship of Adrian Bradbrook (University of Adelaide Press 2014) 223–55; Raphael J. Heffron and Kim Talus, ʻThe Development of Energy Law in the 21st Century: A Paradigm Shift?' (2016) 9 Journal of World Energy Law & Business 189; Terence Daintith, ʻAgainst lex petrolea' (2017) 10 Journal of World Energy Law & Business 1; Raphael J. Heffron et al., ʻA Treatise for Energy Law' (2018) 11 Journal of World Energy Law & Business 34; Ruven Fleming, ʻThe Trias: A New Methodology for Energy Law' (2018) 28 European Energy & Environmental Law Review 164; Viktoria V. Romanova, ʻCurrent Tasks of Energy Law as a Science and an Academic Discipline' (2020) 8 Energy Law Forum 76; Raphael J. Heffron, ʻEnergy Law from 2020 to 2030 (Part I)' (2020) 8 Energy Law Forum 80 etc.

5 Raphael J. Heffron, ʻThe Global Future of Energy Law' (2016) 7 International Energy Law 289.

6 Huhta (n 1) 3.

7 This article will be using the term ‘nuclear law', instead of the previously frequently used ‘atomic law'. For further details on this terminology see Jakub Handrlica, ʻAtomic Law of Nuclear Law? An Academic Discussion Revisited' (2018) 5 Brics Law Journal 135.

8 Huhta (n 1) 4; Heffron and Talus, ʻEvolution of Energy Law and Energy Jurisprudence' (n 4) 1, Heffron et al., ʻA Treatise for Energy Law' (n 4) 34 etc.

9 Heffron and Talus, ʻEvolution of Energy Law and Energy Jurisprudence' (n 4) 2.

10 Zillman (n 4) 485.

11 See Hans Kruse, Legal Aspects of the Peaceful Utilization of Atomic Energy (Verlag Neue Wirtschaftsbriefe 1960); Ernesto Zaldivar, Cuestiones legales originadas por el uso de la energía nuclear (El Ateneo 1960); Hans Fischerhof, ʻZur Terminologie des Atomenergierechts' (1962) 16 Neue juristische Wochenschrift 2095; Karl Schnyder, le droit nucléaire suisse (Springer 1964); Georg Erler, ʻAtomenergierecht' in Erwin von Beckerath (ed), Handwörterbuch der Sozialwissenschaften, Bd. 12 (Gustav Fischer / JCB Mohr / Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht 1965) 525–35 etc.

12 Werner Boulanger, ʻThe Development of Nuclear Law' in IAEA (ed), Nuclear Law for a Developing World (IAEA 1966) 55–56.

13 See Rudolf Lukes, ʻZukünftige Entwicklungen des Kernenergierechts' (1973) 27 Neue juristische Wochenschrift 1209; Rudolf Lukes, ʻDas Atomrecht im Spannungsfeld zwischen Technik und Recht' (1978) 32 Neue juristische Wochenschrift 241.

14 Atomic Energy Law Journal (in the USA), Aspects de droit de l'enérgie atomique (in France) and Diritto ed economia nuclear (in Italy).

15 Sergey A. Malinin, Mirnoe ispolzovanie atomnoi energii [Peaceful uses of atomic energy] (IMO 1971) 3.

16 See Rudolf Fleck, ʻAspekte zur Systematik des Rechts der friedlichen Verwendung der Kernenergie' (1962) 18 Neue juristische Wochenschrift 381; Abram I. Yourish, Atom i pravo [Atom and the Law] (IMO 1969) 27.

17 See Kim Talus, ʻInternationalization of Energy Law' in Kim Talus (ed), Research Handbook on International Energy Law (Edward Elgar 2014) 3–5.

18 Vanda Lamm, The Utilization of Nuclear Energy and International Law (Akadémiai Kiadó 1984) 20–21.

19 Ibid, 22.

20 The catalogue, which was published in print under the title Internationale Bibliographie des Atomenergierechts [International Biography of Atomic Energy Law], contains bibliographic information on specialist literature and nuclear legislation from countries worldwide as well as international treaties, agreements and other documents issued by international organisations. Over the decades this collection grew to a final number of approximately 10,000 articles and 79,000 copies of acts, international treaties and other materials. Between 1988 and 2005, approximately 15,000 documents were added.

21 Carlton Stoiber and others, Handbook on Nuclear Law (IAEA 2003).

22 Ibid, 4.

23 They are the following: (i) safety principle, (ii) security principle, (iii) responsibility principle, (iv) permission principle, (v) compensation principle, (vi) sustainable development principle, (vii) transparency principle, (viii) international co-operation principle.

24 See Juan Manuel Ayllón Díaz-González, Derecho Nuclear (Editorial Comares 1999) 20–22; Stephen Troman, Nuclear Law, The Law Applying to Nuclear Installations and Radioactive Substances in Its Historic Context (2nd edn, Hart Publishing 2010) 1–34; Fabrizio Nocera, The Legal Regime of Nuclear Energy: A Comprehensive Guide to International and European Law (Intersentia 2015) 2–7; Wolf Georg Schärf, Europäisches Atomrecht. Recht der Nuklearenergie (2nd edn, De Gruyter 2012) 9–19; Jean Marie Pontier and Emmanuel Roux (eds), Droit nucléaire. Démocratie et nucléaire (Presses Universitaires d’Aix-Marseille 2013) 10–15; Anatoly I. Grishenko, Jadernoe pravo Rosii [Nuclear Law of the Russian Federation] (Jurist 2017) 14–15; Helen Cook, Law on Nuclear Energy (2nd edn, Sweet & Maxwell 2018) 20–21.

25 Bradbrook (n 3) 194.

26 Heffron and Talus, ʻEvolution of Energy Law and Energy Jurisprudence' (n 4) 1.

27 Wawryk, ʻInternational Energy Law' (n 4) 226.

28 Martha Roggenkamp and others (eds), Energy Law in Europe (3rd edn, Oxford University Press 2016).

29 Angus Johnston and Guy Block, EU Energy Law (Oxford University Press 2013).

30 Viktoria V. Romanova (ed), Energy Law: Textbook (2nd edn, Jurist 2016) 30.

31 See Patrick Reyners, ʻLe droit nucléaire confronté au droit de l'environment – autonomie ou complementarité' (2007) 20 Revue québécoise de droit international 149–56; Sam Emmerechts, ʻEnvironmental Protection Under Nuclear Law: Still a Long Way to Go' in OECD/NEA (ed), International Nuclear Law: History, Evolution and Outlook (OECD 2010) 121–56; Christian Raetzke, ʻNuclear Law and Environmental Law in the Licensing of Nuclear Installations' (2013) 92 Nuclear Law Bulletin 55–66. Very recently, an attempt to analyse international nuclear law from the perspective of environmental law was made by Abdullah Al Faruque, Nuclear Energy Regulation, Risk and the Environment (Routledge 2018).

32 Grishenko, Jadernoe pravo Rosii (n 24) 7–8.

33 Viktoria V. Romanova, Problemy i tendencii pravovo regulirovanija v oblasti ispolzovanija atomnoi energii (Jurist 2017) 18–19.

34 Jean Marie Pontier, ʻLe droit nucléaire, droit à penser' (2015) 30 L'actualité juridique. Droit administrative 1680.

35 Jakub Handrlica, ʻNuclear Law Revisited as an Academic Discipline' (2019) 12 Journal of World Energy Law & Business 52.

36 A rare exemption is to be found in Heffron, ʻGlobal Future of Energy Law' (n 5) 290, fn 15.

37 Wawryk, ʻInternational Energy Law' (n 4) 226.

38 Heffron et al., ʻTreatise for Energy Law' (n 4) xx.

39 Carlton Stoiber and others (n 21) 6–7.

40 Huhta (n 1) 3.

41 Ibid, 4.

42 Eg Handrlica, ʻNuclear Law Revisited as an Academic Discipline' (n 34); and Romanova, ʻCurrent Tasks of Energy Law as a Science and an Academic Discipline' (n 4) 7879.

43 Huhta (n 1) 5.

44 Ibid.

45 Daintith, ʻAgainst lex petrolea' (n 4) 1–13.

46 See Cook, Law on Nuclear Energy (n 24) 20–21.

47 Anatoly I. Grishenko, ʻOn the Concept of Nuclear Law in Russia' (2014) 2 Energy Law Forum 19–22.

48 Ivo Rens and Joël Jakubec, Radioprotection et le droit nucleaire (Librairie Eyrolles 1988) 20–22.