Organisations such as the EU are of enormous benefit to the member states, but the inhabitants of the member states are often unaware of this. Leiden researchers investigate whether international organisations such as the EU or ASEAN are able to influence global politics.

In December 2024, the book Redressing Fundamental Rights Violations by the EU: The Promise of the ‘Complete System of Remedies', edited by Melanie Fink, was published fully open access with Cambridge University Press. The EU prides itself on having created a legal system that puts the individual at…

Sexuality is a fundamental part of being human. Yet, for many people with disabilities, it remains overlooked, unsupported, and surrounded by stigma. NWO-VIDI Sex, Care & Robots confronts that long-standing neglect with a project that envisions an urgent yet straightforward future: one in which sexual…

If you want to maintain a valid penal system, you have to continue to ask the big questions on punishment. Why do we punish people? What is permissible for the government and what is not? Philosopher of Law Jeroen ten Voorde examines these kinds of questions and keeps his academic colleagues and the…

The current migration flow into Europa demands effective measures. Leiden experts examine whether these measures are legal and hold up a mirror to policy-makers.

What did colonial officials and missionaries think they were doing?

MSc Law and Society brings together students from law and social sciences to examine the dynamic relationship between legal norms and social reality. Its global orientation, interdisciplinary approach, and focus on social justice make this master’s programme unique in its field.

Computers are becoming so smart that in the future they will perhaps take over the role of judges. In the meantime, experts at Leiden University are examining the question of which standards responsible data science should meet.

'Trust in institutions' is one of Leiden Law School's four research focus areas.

We are happy to give you 10 reasons why you should study the specialization International Criminal Law at Leiden University. Read more.

We give you 10 reasons why you should study the advanced master programme International Dispute Settlement and Arbitration in The Hague at Leiden University.

The European Law Master’s specialisation distinguishes itself by its broad intra-disciplinary approach, covering institutional, constitutional as well as substantive law of the EU in addition to human rights from an EU perspective.

To be eligible for the GMD Legal Track LL.M. at Leiden University, you must meet the following admission requirements.

The Department of Business Studies provides business scientific education for students of the Faculty of Law, as well as for students from other faculties of Leiden University.

The bi-annual Children’s Rights Moot Court (CRM), organised by the Department of Child Law in partnership with Baker McKenzie, was initiated by Leiden Law School in 2014 on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

AMT’s mission includes encouraging innovative high-quality research in Leiden on Asia. On this page you will find an overview of AMT related research projects, grant possibilities, publications and vacancies.

The EEA enforcement system includes, in particular, the mechanism pursuant to Article 111 EEA for the settlement of disputes between the Member States with respect to the interpretation and the application of EEA law.

Would you like to get in touch with ELS@Leiden? Or do you have questions about our lab? Please do not hesitate to contact us!

On Wednesday 11 June 2025 Steffie van Gompel successfully defended a doctoral thesis and graduated.

On Thursday 16 November, Dirk Broekhuijsen defended his doctoral thesis entitled ‘A multilateral tax treaty: designing an instrument to modernise international tax law’. The supervisors are Professor F.A. Engelen and Professor S.C.W. Douma.

Our research focuses on a number of subthemes, such as the history of collecting, the agency of museum collections, the ethics of collecting (including legal aspects), and the integration of humanities and technical research in exploring the collections.

On 1 June 2022, Tom Herrenberg defended the thesis 'Prosecutorial Discretion in International Criminal Justice'. The doctoral research was supervised by Prof. P.B. Cliteur and Prof. B.R. Rijpkema.

This paper focuses on the legal and institutional assumptions of Fritz Scharpf's famous thesis of an asymmetry between positive and negative integration in the EU. Taking issue with a number of arguments forwarded in the lead piece for this debate section, it questions the relevance of the thesis to…

The notary is involved on various occasions throughout a person's lifetime.

On Thursday 11 January 2018, Xiang Li defended her doctoral thesis: “Collective Labour Rights and Collective Labour Relations of China”. The supervisors are Professor Guus Heerma van Voss and Professor Barend Barentsen.

Edward Elgar has recently published an edited volume entitled “Realising Protection from Age Discrimination: International, Regional, and National Perspectives”. The book has been edited by Helen Meenan (visiting professor at Kingston University, UK) and Christa Tobler (Europa Institutes of the Universities…

How should European financial law best integrate considering the interaction of the relevant legal systems?

To be eligible for International Financial Law at Leiden University, you must meet the following admission requirements.

This 48-month project is to contribute to a solid, accessible, domestically owned knowledge base for people-centred interventions aimed at strengthening access to justice in Libya (A2JiL), and to disseminate such knowledge among stakeholders, enhancing awareness and the capabilities required to provide…

On the 24th of November Aditi Mukherjee successfully defended a doctoral thesis and graduated.

We'll give you 10 reasons why you should study the specialization Peace, Justice and Development of the master Public International Law at Leiden University

What are the institutional dynamics of the adoption of internal market legislation?

The Zmapp medicine has been developed with funding from the US government within the framework of the Small Business Innovation Research programme. The European Commission tried to emulate the success of this programme within the EU. Has its effort been adequate and sufficient? Is procurement of research…

The minor ‘(Inter)national Tax Planning and Policy’ offers a programme for career-oriented students, combining a strong focus on skills development with state-of-the-art knowledge of the (inter)national tax arena in which the interests of stakeholders – businesses, citizens, NGO’s, governments and states…

This unique, interdisciplinary Master focuses on the interaction and gaps between the “law on the books” and the “law in action.” It combines theories and methods from both law and the social sciences to the practical operation of law. The core curriculum equips students with the conceptual approaches…

Leiden Law School offers a broad range of study programmes.

The lecture series 'Humanity in the Automated State' examines how AI and automated systems are transforming government and public administration and what it means to be human within these digitised institutions.

The consequences of social tendencies for the legislation and institutions in the fields of social security, the labor market policy and pension reform are examined in this multdisciplinary research program..

How should jurisdictions, both on the national and on the supra-national level, handle the interaction between public and private law where it regards the regulation of financial markets?

Recent publications in the BLRN book series can be found below.

eLaw at Leiden University leads Europe in exploring the intersection of law and digital technologies.

An effective and equitable approach to resource conflicts?

Everyone most obey the law. If you don’t, you will face the police and the courts. The application of national, European and international criminal law would seem to be a matter of following the letter of the law. But the reality is more nuanced. Criminal law scholars and criminologists from very different…

The programme works to shed light on transnational, international and comparative aspects of law. We will focus on theory and the practical application.

Many countries and regions face a wide variety of challenges resulting from migration and mobility. Solutions that have been formulated range from policies and regulations for immigration, to education and stimulating social participation, to restructuring the welfare state. These challenges and policies…

The research group Corporate Governance and Strategy investigates how, with whom and for whom a firm/corporation creates/captures value, in order to inform practice and rule makers about governance issues. By focusing on the dual character of the firm as an entity by itself but also consisting of stakeholders,…

The Children’s Rights Education Fund is an initiative that strengthens global leadership in children’s rights by offering financial support to students of the Advanced LL.M. in International Children’s Rights at Leiden Law School.