Our society is changing rapidly. Globalisation, digitisation and the increasing influence of private actors offer social opportunities, for example through innovations in ICT and through social media. At the same time, they present us with societal challenges that have major implications for the rights of individual citizens, for example on the organisation of healthcare, dealing with religion, or social security. Law and other forms of regulation must on the one hand guarantee and uphold these rights, but on the other hand have sufficient flexibility and adaptability to stay connected to changing society. How can this flexibility and certainty be combined so that law, regulation and policy contribute positively to our social welfare and prosperity?
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This question offers opportunities to conduct innovative interdisciplinary research into a legal/administrative toolbox that is flexible and efficient enough to enable innovation, while also promoting legal certainty and social welfare. By asking evaluative/normative questions, science can provide insight into the fit of existing law and regulation with today's society. For example, the ageing population is rapidly making long-standing debates around the right to certain medical treatments acute. The rise of the self-employed has raised new questions about employment contracts, but also about entitlements to welfare state provisions. And how do European and national citizenship relate to each other? Solution-oriented design questions can lead to innovative knowledge on how law, regulation and the associated institutions can better meet both societal challenges and economic opportunities. This could include, for example, looking at the possibility of building a self-cleaning capacity into financial regulation, or investigating which financial and legal models enable road leasing. Scientific questions concerning law concern lawyers first and foremost, but certainly not only them. The scientific disciplines of law, administrative science, sociology and psychology can make an important contribution here.
