Research Centre for the Digitalisation of Procedural Law

The implications of digitalisation – and, in particular, the development of a digital single market – for substantive civil law have long been the subject of in-depth and controversial debate. By contrast, the enforcement of civil law through civil procedure has so far played a minor role in this debate on digitalisation, insofar as it is not associated primarily with issues relating to the digitisation of the judicial system. However, the ongoing digitalisation of our social order affects not only substantive law but also, in the context of law enforcement, poses new challenges to established procedural law instruments.

Key areas for future research include, for example, the impact of digitalisation on traditional procedural principles, the introduction of so-called online proceedings, the significance and use of artificial intelligence in judicial decision-making, and the promotion of so-called strategic litigation through digitalisation measures. Added to this is the phenomenon that, alongside the traditional categories of alternative dispute resolution, new forms of digital conflict resolution and conflict prevention are emerging, which find themselves in a largely unregulated market. It would be sensible to introduce minimum standards under procedural law for these new conflict resolution programmes in future.

The aim of this research centre is to promote the fields of research listed above and other similar areas. In particular, it seeks to link traditional dogmatic research topics with current issues relating to digitalisation. In doing so, the research centre endeavours to ensure that these topics receive appropriate visibility.

This research objective is supported through dialogue with representatives of the judiciary and the legal profession, in particular through the organisation of workshops, lectures and conferences.

Furthermore, the research centre supports publications focused on its key areas of research and expands the University of Regensburg’s collection of specialist literature through a reference collection on the ‘digitisation of law’.