This volume showcases a collection of Empirical Legal Studies (ELS) that were conducted at five universities in the Netherlands as part of the Law Sector Plan in the period between 2019 and 2025. The contributions to this volume use both quantitative and qualitative research methods to study the effects of court decisions and legislation in various fields of law, including civil law, criminal law, administrative law and EU law. Based on these contributions, this volume examines how ELS resear...

This book celebrates the career of Jeanne Gaakeer, professor emerita of legal theory, with a focus on narrative jurisprudence and Law and Humanities. The centerpiece of this volume is Jeanne Gaakeer’s farewell lecture in which she puts forward a compelling argument for the need to view law hermeneutically. This is not merely a theoretical proposition, hermeneutics is also a practical need of the art of judging. A narrative understanding of judicial practices is crucial to bring justice to p...

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...