Saverio Ruperto

This is an essay on legal efficacy which places the private law norm at the centre of the analysis. The investigation moves from the theory of legal norm as hypothetical judgement: the draftsmen take into consideration some events (facts) of real life and describe them within a normative context. If the described facts happen, they trigger the consequences indicated by the norm, which are called legal effects. The effects consist of ‘events’ related to legal duties: when the fact described by the norm happens, a legal duty is born; or an existing legal duty is extinguished. Some of the main private law institutions are analysed in the light of these premises.