Corpus/Edge types

Edge Types

Edge types (stored in corpus.edges.kind) form an open vocabulary — new types are added when data sources provide them. This document lists all known types organized by category.

The properties JSONB column on edges carries type-specific metadata (grounds for partial cassation, commencement date, reservation text, confidence, etc.).

Universality

Edge kinds have varying degrees of cross-jurisdiction applicability. Universal kinds (amends, repeals, cites, interprets...) appear in 3+ legal traditions and are documented here. Multi-jurisdiction kinds (cassation_of, preliminary_reference_to...) appear in 2+ jurisdictions. Local kinds (establishes_jurisprudencia, violates...) are specific to one legal system and documented in the emitting plugin. This is a documentation convention, not a runtime constraint — the kind column has no enum. See ADR: edge pipeline architecture (design-decisions/2026-04-22-edge-pipeline-architecture.md).

Category 1: Textual modification (legislation <-> legislation)

Edge kind	Direction	Description	Open data
amends	A->B	A amends B (umbrella term). Alias: modifies (FR LEGI: MODIFIE/MODIFICATION)	FR LEGI, UK legislation.gov.uk, IT normattiva
inserts	A->B	A inserts text into B	UK legislation.gov.uk
substitutes	A->B	A substitutes text in B	UK legislation.gov.uk
omits	A->B	A removes text from B	UK legislation.gov.uk
rectifies	A->B	A corrects an error in B (no policy change). FR LEGI: RECTIFICATION/RECTIFIE	FR LEGI, EU corrigenda, EU CELLAR resource_legal_corrects_resource_legal
renumbers	A->B	A renumbers provisions in B. Alias: moves (FR LEGI: DEPLACE/DEPLACEMENT)	FR LEGI

Category 2: Lifecycle / legal force

Edge kind	Direction	Description	Open data
repeals	A->B	A repeals B entirely	FR LEGI, UK, all
repeals_in_part	A->B	A repeals specific provisions of B	UK legislation.gov.uk
creates	A->B	A creates/establishes B	FR LEGI
expires	A->B	B expires by operation of A (or by its own sunset clause). FR LEGI: PERIME/PEREMPTION, PERIME_NVCC_IDCC/PEREMPTION_NVCC_IDCC	FR LEGI
suspends	A->B	A temporarily suspends B	Rare in open data
revives	A->B	A revives previously suspended/repealed B	UK
saves	A->B	A carves B out from a wider repeal	UK legislation.gov.uk
extends	A->B	A extends the application of B (territorial, temporal, or personal scope). FR LEGI: EXTENSION/ETEND, ADHESION/ADHERE, ELARGISSEMENT/ELARGIT	FR labor (extension), UK
restricts	A->B	A restricts the scope of B	UK legislation.gov.uk
annuls	A->B	A annuls B (judicial or legislative)	FR LEGI
denounces	A->B	A terminates convention/treaty B	FR labor conventions
disjoins	A->B	A splits a relationship between two texts	FR LEGI
converts	A->B	Parliament converts emergency decree A into law B	IT, FR (ordonnance), ES, BR (medida provisoria)

Category 3: Hierarchical / delegation

Edge kind	Direction	Description	Open data
implements	A->B	A implements/applies B (implementing regulation -> framework law). FR LEGI: APPLICATION/APPLIQUE, SPEC_APPLI	FR LEGI, EU
transposes	A->B	A transposes EU directive B into national law. FR LEGI: TRANSPOSITION, DIRECTIVE_EUROPEENNE	EU CELLAR NIM, FR LEGI
commences	A->B	Commencement order A brings B into force	UK legislation.gov.uk
enables	A->B	A grants power to make B (delegation)	Extraction
made_under	A->B	A is made under authority of B	UK
ratifies	A->B	A ratifies treaty B	FR LEGI
codifies	A->B	A codifies standalone text B into a code	FR LEGI
based_on	A->B	A has B as treaty base (EU)	EU
requires_implementation	A->B	"pending"|"moot", measure_object: "..."}	FR Baromètre AN
supplements	A->B	A adds sectoral provisions to framework B	EU
complies_with	A->B	A ensures compliance with standard/rule B	EU, compliance
derogates_from	A->B	A explicitly derogates from B	EU, FR
adopts	A->B	A adopts the text of B (Council decision adopting a regulation/directive)	EU CELLAR resource_legal_adopts_resource_legal

Category 4: Cross-reference / concordance

Edge kind	Direction	Description	Open data
cites	A->B	A cites B (neutral reference). FR LEGI: CITATION, RENVOI/RENVOIT, CITATION_JURI_LEGI	FR LEGI, EU CELLAR work_cites_work, ECHR HUDOC extractedappno
replaces	A->B	A replaces B (renumbering: article 1240 replaces 1382). FR LEGI: TEXTE_SUITE	FR LEGI
corresponds_to	A<->B	A and B are concordant (synchronized texts)	FR LEGI
transfers	A->B	A moved provision from B to another location	FR LEGI
source_text	A->B	B is the source text that A codifies/implements	FR LEGI
associated_text	A<->B	A and B are associated texts. FR LEGI: TXT_ASSOCIE, RATTACHEMENT/RATTACHE	FR LEGI
pilot_follower	A<->B	A and B are synchronized (labor: pilot/follower)	FR LEGI
historical	A->B	Historical link between A and B	FR LEGI
consolidates	A->B	A consolidates multiple texts including B	All, EU CELLAR act_consolidated_consolidates_resource_legal
language_variant	A<->B	A and B are language versions of the same document	Multilingual jurisdictions

Category 5: Judicial treatment (decision <-> decision)

Negative treatments

Edge kind	Direction	Description
overrules	A->B	A overrules B (B's ratio is no longer good law)
partially_overrules	A->B	A overrules B on specific grounds. Properties: {grounds: [...]}
reverses	A->B	A reverses B in the same case (appellate)
vacates	A->B	A vacates B (US)
not_followed	A->B	A explicitly declines to follow B
criticizes	A->B	A criticizes reasoning in B
doubts	A->B	A expresses doubt about B
limits	A->B	A narrows the scope of B without overruling
distinguishes	A->B	A distinguishes its facts from B (rule in B does not apply)

Positive treatments

Edge kind	Direction	Description
follows	A->B	A follows the reasoning of B
applies_rule_of	A->B	A applies the rule established in B
affirms	A->B	A affirms B in the same case (appellate)
confirms	A->B	A confirms B's position on a legal question
explains	A->B	A explains or clarifies B
harmonizes	A->B	A reconciles B with another apparently conflicting decision

Procedural relationships

Edge kind	Direction	Description
appeal_of	A->B	A is an appeal of B
cassation_of	A->B	A is a cassation review of B (civil law)
remanded_from	A->B	A results from remand by B
preliminary_reference_to	A->B	National court A refers question to CJEU/constitutional court B
answers_preliminary_reference	A->B	A answers the preliminary reference from B
constitutional_reference_to	A->B	A refers constitutionality question to constitutional court B (FR QPC, IT, DE)
joined_with	A<->B	A and B are joined cases
reviews	A->B	A reviews B (generic procedural link). FR LEGI: SUITE_PROCEDURALE
opinion_for	A->B	"avocat_general"|"amicus_curiae"}
referred_to_grand_chamber	A->B	Chamber judgment A was referred to Grand Chamber, resulting in judgment B. ECHR (deferred — requires re-ingest with new fields)
execution_of	A->B	Execution supervision document A monitors compliance with judgment B. ECHR HUDOC-EXEC (deferred — requires HUDOC-EXEC ingestion)
case_group_member	A->B	Judgment A belongs to the execution group led by judgment B. ECHR HUDOC-EXEC (deferred — requires HUDOC-EXEC ingestion)

Category 6: Decision <-> legislation

Edge kind	Direction	Description
interprets	A->B	Decision A interprets provision B. FR LEGI: JURISPRUDENTIEL. EU CELLAR case-law_interpretes_resource_legal, FR LEGI
declares_unconstitutional	A->B	Decision A declares B unconstitutional
declares_constitutional	A->B	Decision A declares B constitutional
declares_constitutional_with_reservation	A->B	A declares B constitutional under specific interpretation. Properties: {reservation: "..."}
annuls	A->B	Administrative court A annuls administrative act B (same edge kind as Category 2 annuls)
quashes	A->B	A quashes B (UK judicial review)
disapplies	A->B	A disapplies national law B (EU primacy). Also: plea of illegality (Art. 277 TFEU). EU CELLAR case-law_incidentally_declares_void_resource_legal
states_infringement_of	A->B	Infringement judgment A declares member state failure to comply with directive/regulation B (Art. 258 TFEU). EU CELLAR case-law_states_failure_concerning_resource_legal
violates	A->B	Judgment A finds a violation of Convention article B. ECHR (deferred — requires Convention text ingestion)

Category 7: Civil law doctrine-specific

Edge kind	Direction	Description	Country
establishes_jurisprudencia	A->B	5th concordant decision A makes tesis B binding	MX
interrupts_jurisprudencia	A->B	Contradictory decision A breaks the reiteracion chain of tesis B	MX
substitutes_jurisprudencia	A->B	New tesis A replaces old tesis B	MX
establishes_sumula	A->B	Decision A contributes to creating sumula B	BR
cancels_sumula	A->B	Decision A cancels sumula B	BR
guiding_case_reference	A->B	Decision A refers to guiding case B	CN
judicial_interpretation_of	A->B	SPC interpretation A interprets statute B	CN

Category 8: Cross-regulation stacking

Edge kind	Direction	Description
lex_specialis_to	A->B	A prevails over B in their overlap area (lex specialis)
stacks_with	A<->B	A and B apply concurrently with no displacement

Notes

• All types are directional (A->B) unless marked A<->B.
• The UNIQUE constraint (source_id, target_id, kind) prevents duplicate edges.
• With nullable target_id and PostgreSQL's NULL-is-distinct-from-NULL behavior, multiple unresolved references from the same source are allowed.
• Edge properties carry type-specific metadata:
  • partially_overrules: {grounds: ["moyen_2", "moyen_3"], scope: "partial"}
  • declares_constitutional_with_reservation: {reservation: "conforme sous reserve que..."}
  • commences: {commencement_date: "2024-06-01", extent: "england_and_wales"}
  • suspends: {start: "2024-01-01", end: "2024-12-31"}
• The vocabulary is open — new types added when data sources provide them. No enum constraint in the schema.