legalism

/ˌligəˈlɪzəm/

Other forms: legalisms

Legalism is a strict, literal interpretation of the law, with no consideration of specific circumstances.

In law, using legalism as a guiding principle means looking at established court decisions and congressional acts, then deciding cases based only on those. If a hungry person steals food, legalism would require a judge to find them guilty of theft based on established law, without any consideration of their specific circumstances. Legalism is derived from the Latin lex, "rule."

Definitions of legalism

1. noun

   strict conformity to the letter of the law rather than its spirit
   type of:

   conformism, conformity

   orthodoxy in thoughts and belief