From theory to practice

Our research connects academic theory to practice. Existing theories are examined, new perspectives and research questions are formed, and we arrive at solutions for current issues inside and outside the field of Law.

Leiden Law Blog

For years now the Leiden Law Blog is the platform used by our researchers and students to explain about their research, respond to current affairs and make a contribution to academic debates.

Data science

The changing role of the government in today’s data society is placing new requirements on the field of Law and Administrative Law. Via large-scale data analysis the government can better tackle violations of the law, but it can also better match its services to the needs and capacities of citizens. Ymre Schuurmans, Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law, is working together with Professor Bart Custers (eLaw) and Professor Iris Wuisman (Company Law) in the new University-wide initiative SAILS that looks to build on and expand the current expertise on artificial intelligence within Leiden University. ■

Focus on online privacy

Robbert van Eijk, PhD candidate in the Leiden University Dual PhD programme defended his dissertation in 2019 with his research on online privacy. He discovered a way to measure the privacy impact of online adverts. His most important conclusion: behind the scenes, the online advertisement market is even more nontransparent and complex than was first thought. As a result, personal data can end up at thousands of businesses involved in ‘realtime bidding’ - the selling of online advertisement space for personalised adverts. To achieve this, first the interests of visitors have to be determined. This is done on the basis of location and webpages visited. Sometimes information is exchanged behind the scenes, without this being visible in your browser. Van Eijk has calculated that in this way, thousands of parties can potentially monitor your behaviour on the web. His research was picked up in the national media. Important parties, such as the Dutch Data Protection Authority and advertising industry representatives, have studied the dissertation. ■

Prestigious grants and distinctions

Leiden Law School researchers regularly receive prestigious grants or a distinction for their research.

w In 2018 Professor Eric De Brabandere received, together with Professor Ulf Linderfalk and Dr Anna Nilsson (Lund University, Sweden), a grant from a Swedish Research Council to conduct research into discretionary authority in international law. The aim of the research is to gain a better understanding of the concept of ‘discretion’ and its various applications in international law.

w Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh, a promising young researcher, received a Veni grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. In an interdisciplinary project she is investigating how effective it is for environmental activists to go to the courts to enforce a more ambitious climate policy, and what the possible drawbacks could be of doing so.

w Dr Yannick van den Brink will be conducting research at the Institute of Criminology of the University of Cambridge for eighteen months thanks to a Rubicon grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. He will be investigating the meaning of the principle of equality in juvenile criminal law and will explore to what extent British and American strategies to reduce inequality are applicable in Dutch juvenile criminal law.

w Leiden student Aoife Fleming was elected as the United Nations Youth Delegate on Sustainable Development for the Netherlands. She set up the lecture series ‘Sustainability and Law’ at our faculty so that students start thinking now about sustainability issues in relation to law.

Border surveillance in all weathers

Tim Dekkers conducted PhD research on the role of IT in border controls. Systematic border controls between EU Member States no longer exist, but security risks do. Government bodies collect an increasing amount of information about who crosses their borders, and when. This information can then be used for risk analysis to detect potentially high-risk individuals and take action when necessary. Dekkers held interviews and conducted field research with the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, standing for hours in all weathers at the borders making observations. His conclusion: technology only has a limited impact on decisions taken by the Marechaussee during checks. In addition, he noted that the object of controls was shifting from migration control to fighting crime.

No research has previously been conducted into the interaction between technology and human aspects in the context of border controls. The Marechaussee has used the research outcomes to further tighten its policy. Dekkers proceeded to find work at a government inspection service. ■

Connected to society

Working with the professional field

Leiden Law School is passionate about training students and professionals for the Dutch and international legal and security practice. In doing so we contribute to improved professionalisation in the various sectors.

As the same time, we actively search for ways in which practice can be involved in our teaching and research. We are convinced that this interaction will help to enlarge our impact.

Strong links with practice

Many of our staff members already work in the profession: they are not just lecturers at our faculty, but also work as lawyers, analysts, judges or tax advisors. Many of our PhD candidates are inspired to continue their studies through experience they have gained in their work and choose to study a research question that arose in practice. Our alumni, working at home or abroad, are happy to return to give guest lectures to new generations of lawyers and criminologists.

We also have a close relationship with The Hague Court since 2005. Thanks to this collaboration, students and researchers can see what goes on in practice. And vice versa, the Court receives direct input from researchers and can develop contacts with potential future employees. Together we regularly organise symposia and a masterclass for a dozen students, we provide interns to the Court and the Court provides us with judges for our Moot Court.

Legal Tech

Alumna Esther Albers, Global Innovation Manager at Clifford Chance: ‘In practice, knowledge of law remains the central component. But the way in which this knowledge is obtained and applied is changing under the influence of technology. The law student of the future is tech-savvy, creative, proactive and thinks in solutions. He or she will have to recognize at the right moment what part of the work can be supported by which technology, what the solutions are in the market and when it is constructive to work together with others. The new generation will not only be trained to be critical analysts, but will also have skills to break new ground. This requires a view that goes beyond just law. It calls for a combination of legal knowledge, psychological insights and social skills, negotiation techniques, financial skills and knowledge of business and technology. Also where these last two skills meet, such as in “lean and design thinking”’.

Judge Rogier Hartendorp of The Hague Court holds the chair Societal Effectiveness of the Justice System. Together with students, researchers and colleagues at the Court he conducts research into the societal role and positioning of the justice system: “As judges we often see in practice that parties in a dispute are driven further away from each other. As a judge you take a decision in a dispute, but the question remains if the underlying problem is then addressed. At the same time, a judge is of course not a social worker. This gives rise to an interesting area of tension which we are examining.” ■

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