Abstract

Vagueness in the law, as elsewhere, comes in different forms. Some of it is unavoidable, while other cases are optional and deliberately chosen by lawmakers. My main purpose in this essay is to distinguish between different types of vagueness in the legal context and to explain their rationales. The argument proceeds in two main stages: The first part is taxonomical, mostly about the semantics of vagueness, and related linguistic indeterminacies, that we find in statutory language. The second part takes up each one of these different types of vagueness in law, suggesting some ways in which legal decision makers reason with vague language, and some of the normative considerations that apply, depending on the kind of vagueness involved.