The Japanese Section of the International Association for Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy (IVR) mourns the passing of Professor Robert Alexy, Professor Emeritus at Kiel University, who died on 5 September 2026 at the age of 80.
Professor Alexy developed highly influential theories of legal argumentation and legal principles. He was also renowned for his critique of legal positivism and his defence of a necessary connection between law and moral correctness. His analysis of the principle of proportionality has profoundly influenced not only constitutional theory but also constitutional adjudication in many countries.
Professor Alexy visited Japan in 2014 and delivered lectures in Kyoto, Tokyo, and Kanazawa. His lectures ‘Constitutional Rights, Democracy, and Representation’ and ‘Inclusive Non-Positivism’ were subsequently published in Japanese translation in volume 87, issue 3, of ‘Hōritsu Jihō’.
We express our profound gratitude for Professor Alexy’s outstanding contributions to legal philosophy and extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and students.
Hidehiko Adachi
President, IVR Japan
on behalf of the Executive Committee