The sense of proportionality
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52292/j.dsc.2026.5482Keywords:
Proportionality, Justification, Balancing, Double EffectAbstract
The article discusses David Duarte’s proposal to replace Robert Alexy’s “weight formula” with a “positivist formula” that isolates internal justification (the substantive and epistemic laws) from moral evaluation. I analyse the feasibility of such isolation in constitutional practice, where norms refer to values and principles whose weight must be assessed in context, and highlight how the final balancing stage is intertwined with the earlier stages of legitimate aim, suitability, and necessity. I also question the desirability of excluding the moral dimension from the standpoint of the culture of justification, which demands transparency and public debate. Finally, I draw on the doctrine of double effect to shed light on the normative structure of proportionality analysis.
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