# Research programme at the Faculty of Law

**Source**: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/about-law-research-programme-and-5-pillars
**Parent**: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/

We approach legal research in many different ways: From studying legal texts and comparing legal systems to working across disciplines, doing empirical research, and exploring legal ideas from philosophical and historical perspectives. We look at how legal systems interact and use that lens to understand societal challenges involving people, organisations and institutions. We always do this in relation to their broader legal, social, political, economic, cultural, environmental, and historical context.

Our research activities are organised into five interrelated research streams: We examine these streams using a range of legal and non-legal disciplines.

**Read more about our research in our research programme**[**'Dynamics between and in legal orders'**](https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/file/lawresearchprogramme2022pdfonlinedocpdf "law_research_programme_2022_pdf_online_doc.pdf")**.**

Our research institutes and research groups are connected to our research programme and its research streams.\
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[**See the complete overview****.**](https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/file/infographic-onderzoeksinstituten-groepen-onderzoekstromen-1pdf "Infographic - research programme LAW and its research institutes and groups")

## Our research streams explained

Values

Global justice, human rights, and values

This stream looks at how the Dutch, European and international legal systems interact and how questions about fairness, inequality, accountability, legitimacy, and sustainability should be addressed. It explores how laws and legal tools can help protect these values, and how well these different legal systems work together or sometimes conflict with each other.

This stream also studies how national, international and European law is or could be used to address political, economic, criminal, environmental, social, and military challenges, and how they connect to national policies. It discusses whether global justice is truly possible, and what responsibilities the Netherlands, the European Union or international organisations might have beyond their own borders on issues such as human rights violations, refugee crises, the emergence of pandemics or the threat of terrorism.

Institutions

Powers, constraints, and transformations

This research stream studies how institutional arrangements change when national, European, and international systems interact and try to align their rules. It also studies how social developments influence these institutions.

This research stream mainly focusses on:

- International peace and security;
- Issues of accountability and legitimacy deficit;
- New modes of governance;
- The emergence and resolution of economic, political and financial crises;
- How to protect the rule of law in democratic system against authoritarian pressures.

Special attention goes to the balance of power between national and European parliaments, courts and governments, and to how institutions of different legal orders can build and maintain societal trust in their functioning.

Markets

Trade, sustainability, and globalisation

The integration of national, regional, and international markets is a key driver in harmonizing legal systems. This research stream investigates how public authorities facilitate markets and empower private actors to produce, distribute, and protect resources, services, and information. It also examines how both public and private players can ensure that economic activities respect environmental limits and do not harm matters of social, political, and environmental concern. Research in this stream combines insights from fields such as economics, tax law, corporate law, comparative law, art law, empirical studies, and history.

Mobility

Cross-border cooperation and mobility

Broad prosperity in national, regional and European systems depends on cooperation between public and private organisations across borders. This goal is particularly relevant for the mobility of persons (including labour mobility), the provision of services like healthcare, addressing crime and insecurity, promoting trade and sustainable development, taxation, the social security of cross-border workers, and protecting the environment. This research stream investigates how cross-border cooperation can enhance integration and harmonization of relevant rules. At the same time, it examines how differences in rules, jurisdictions, and legal cultures can hinder such cooperation.

This research stream mainly focusses on: 

- How rules, regulations, and cross-border mobility relate at the national (eu)regional, European and international level;
- How different actors operate in a cross-border environment;
- How mobility connects broader ideas, such as the concept of the nation state.

Digitalisation

Digital technologies, justice, and regulation

This research stream studies how digital technologies are affecting legal practices around the world. Examples include legal chatbots, smart contracts, online mediation, and digital tools in our justice systems. It also studies how the law can address new problems caused by technology, such as abuses of private data, cybersecurity breaches and social media manipulation. Moreover, it asks how digital technologies can be used to study legal issues and promote access to law and justice, for example through big data analysis or online legal platforms.