Digital Law

Language

English

Prerequisites

The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.

Main themes

Once regarded as a niche specialization reserved for a handful of experts digital law has now become a discipline of crucial importance, cutting across all other areas of law. Essential for every (future) legal professional, it enables a deeper understanding of the realities of a world now shaped by technology, while fostering awareness of the ethical issues and technical challenges that characterize it.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

This course aligns with the programme’s learning outcomes (quoted below).   The course aims to enable students to acquire some « specific legal knowledge » – in Belgian, European and international law –  regarding the regulation of digital technologies, as well as other issues related to data, platforms, algorithms, and more. It covers areas of public, criminal, and private law, addressing both the perspective of objective law and that of subjective rights.   The course also contributes to the development of « a solid grounding in the humanities and social sciences so that they are able to decode legal phenomena in a comprehensively inter-disciplinary perspective ». While it is a law course, it incorporates indeed an introduction to digital technologies and thereby aims to provide a refined understanding of the contemporary world.   Finally, as the course is taught in English, it offers students an opportunity to develop their « ability to understand, study, and render theoretical content in a language other than French ».

Content

The course focuses on two main dimensions : first, « digital law », understood as the specific legal framework governing information and communication technologies in a broad sense, at the national, European, and international levels; and second, « digital rights », referring both to fundamental rights as exercised in a digital environment and to the specific subjective rights that have emerged over recent decades.
In doing so, the course connects with various other subjects taught throughout the Bachelor’s programme, which it further develops and specializes: it offers a transversal integration of digital issues. Without being exhaustive, its scope may encompass—particularly in light of new or emerging technologies (big data, various algorithmic systems, artificial intelligence)—data protection and privacy; intellectual property; cybercrime; the effectiveness and protection of rights in a digital context, including structural challenges for democracy and security; issues raised by the digitalisation of judicial procedures and their alternatives; several renewed questions of civil liability (notably concerning companies providing internet services, commercial platforms, and platforms enabling users to share content); and e-commerce and consumer protection in that context.

Teaching methods

The course is delivered ex cathedra in a large lecture hall.
 
Course materials are made available via Moodle. They are not mandatory: students’ personal notes may be sufficient, and will in fact usefully complement the provided materials. Consequently, attendance is highly recommended.
 
Classes and assessments take place in person.

Evaluation methods

Other information

A good command of English is required to fully engage with this course.

Bibliography

Les éléments bibliographiques pertinents sont indiqués dans les supports de cours.

Faculty or entity

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