Project
THE ISSUE OF INTER-LEGALITY: AT A GLANCE
The Center for Inter-Legality Research aims at (i) conceptualizing and explaining the most challenging legal phenomena in contemporary times, starting with inter-legality (namely the ever more complex and composite character of law interlocking State, regional, international and global legalities); (ii) developing critical thinking in relation to pressing legal and political challenges; and (iii) addressing the regulatory issues underlying the elaboration and implementation of key public policies at the EU and national level.
Today’s world is characterized by many instances of legality: intra-State, supra-State, and inter-State legalities as well as trans-state forms of lawmaking. They regulate almost all the relevant fields of contemporary life: security, health, climate, trade, human rights, sport, environment, investments, intellectual property, food, water, and so on. Whether stemming from regional entities like the EU, single functional regimes (such as WTO, ISO, ICANN, or WHO), hybrid or informal entities, or even “private” forms of law, they have cross-State competence, but functionally limited by sector-specific ends. All of these instances of regulations have a direct impact on the way we live our lives in today’s hyper-connected world. And, as such, they need careful examination.
To live up to such a challenge, our approach to research is characterized by a strong interdisciplinary focus. We combine insights from law, philosophy, technology, and the social sciences at large to unpack these complex contemporary problems – whether they are conceptual, social, or policy-rooted. By exploring the intersections of law, technology, and society, we examine how emerging technologies and other social and legal phenomena can inform and shape legal and policy frameworks and vice-versa. This involves developing innovative methods and tools to analyze and understand the vast amounts of data and information that underpin modern legal and policy systems.
Our members are also engaged in critically examining the underlying values and assumptions of legal and political systems, drawing on philosophical perspectives on technology, post-humanism, and inter-sectionality. We investigate the implications of these frameworks for issues such as European integration, fundamental rights, and the European Green Deal, with a particular focus on the twin digital and environmental transitions.
Furthermore, our research addresses the foundational questions of the rule of law, international law, democracy, and sovereignty, examining how these concepts are evolving in response to global challenges and technological advancements.
By bringing together experts from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, we aim to provide a nuanced and composite understanding of the complex mutual propelment between law, policy, technology, and society, as well as to help developing and shaping effective and just public policies at the EU international and national levels.
Through our research, events, and publications, we seek to foster a community of scholars, policymakers, and practitioners engaged in critical discussions about the future of law, society, and policy.