Author Katharina Boele-Woelki reports on her many years of teaching comparative law. This volume is addressed to (young) academics teaching comparative law and to all those interested in the questions of what, when, who, why and how. Three aspects need to be considered. In terms of the subject matter, the challenge is to focus either on the history and use of comparative law, on introductions to different legal systems, on teaching a particular area of law from a comparative perspective, or o...

With an ageing population, the number of people with dementia is expected to increase in the coming decades. Dementia can seriously impair a person’s ability to act and decide. In the Netherlands, adults can provide for such a future period of incapacity through a so-called levenstestament. A levenstestament can include the appointment of an attorney for financial, medical and/or personal matters, but also the adult’s wishes, preferences and instructions regarding these matters. Over the ...

Procedural agreements hold the potential to effectively customise and expedite civil proceedings. However, their impact on access to justice, particularly for weaker litigants, and the potential erosion of the court’s role raise significant concerns. Despite the growing acceptance of procedural contracts, it is still unclear how courts should interpret and when they should enforce these agreements. This book delves into the critical examination of choice-of-court, evidentiary, costs, appeal...

Systems based on artificial intelligence (AI) offer increasing opportunities to support human decision-making. This book discusses these opportunities from highly practical perspectives. Starting from a solid background and explanation of artificial intelligence and the general ethical challenges and possibilities in the legal field, it delves into four specific applications of AI systems. The first part relates to the use and deployment of AI systems in the corporate boardroom and in the con...

The growing call for ecologically responsible consumer choices, driven by greater awareness of the environmental and social consequences, is impacting consumer rights. This study explores the rights of consumers amid the mobility transition from ownership to usership within the circular economy. By means of an analysis of specific EU directives and their implementation in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and France, this study analyses whether, and to what extent, the protection of consumer...

This book presents, for the first time, a systematic study of the solutions available for transferring money claims and related security rights in securitisations, using England, France and Scotland as focus jurisdictions. It adopts a dual comparative approach to determine a model solution that is most efficient for securitisations. First, it employs a functional approach to identify solutions available in the focus jurisdictions. Through this method, the book offers a comprehensive doctrinal...

In a growing number of countries, inquiries into past intercountry adoptions take place that identify systemic abuses and irregularities and conclude that adoption stakeholders encouraged or facilitated illegal intercountry adoptions. However, so far, the response from these stakeholders has been inadequate in addressing the profound human rights violations endured by those affected by illegal adoptions. Despite the growing movement of adoptees advocating for justice on behalf of themselves a...

On Friday June 21st 2024, the Spring Meeting of the Dutch Procedural Law Association (NVvP) will take place, with the topic ‘Fact-finding in Civil Procedures’. The speakers will be: Judge C.J-A. Seinen (Judge at the District Court of The Hague and PhD candidate in Civil Law at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam); Prof. C. Gomille (Professor of Civil Law, European and International Private Law and Civil Procedure at the University of Saarland); Prof. W. Vandenbussche (Professor of Civil Proc...

Collective actions and the financing of complex mass damage cases have been among the most debated and controversial topics in civil justice in Europe over the past decade. With the entry into force of the Dutch collective damages procedure (WAMCA) in 2020, the Netherlands has re- confirmed its reputation as one of the frontrunners in having a welldeveloped framework for collective actions and settlements. Third party litigation funding has become an important source of funding, and its incre...

In the Netherlands, there is a wide range of different forms of legal aid and there are many options for solving legal problems. For citizens and small entrepreneurs, it is often complicated to choose a route that best suits their legal problem. One solution to this is an access portal through which citizens and entrepreneurs receive support in finding the right (legal) assistance and routes for conflict resolution. This study identifies six access portals from abroad that can serve as inspir...