Developing an Integrative Approach for Accessing Comparative Legal Knowledge for Translation

In this paper, a multi-perspectivist approach to translation-relevant comparative law is presented. The approach is conceptually oriented and joins three lenses with relevance for the study of meaning construction and development in the field of law: National cultural influences, influences from systemic-functional epistemic aspects, and influence from interpersonal knowledge communication. Focus in the article is upon the argumentative grounding of the three perspectives and upon possible methods with special relevance for the different lenses. In order to present the backdrop against which the approach is developed, the paper starts out with an overview of recent developments and suggestions in the field of comparative law, especially for the purposes of legal translation.