Maastricht Centre for Law & Jurisprudence
The Maastricht Centre for Law & Jurisprudence (MCLJ) promotes excellence in research in the areas of legal philosophy, legal theory, (international) legal history and the intersection of these fields by holding colloquia, workshops, conferences, and other academic exchanges with a view to serving the scholarly community and society at large.
Research
MCLJ studies law by adopting a multidisciplinary and (methodologically) pluralistic approach. Moving beyond traditional doctrinal legal research, we start from the presumption that a correct understanding of (positive) law, its meaning and its institutions, requires comprehension of the different contexts where law operates. These are the contingent historical circumstances where the legal system emerged, how positive law is embedded in broader normative-philosophical and societal debates on customary law, constitutionalism, democracy, human rights and the rule of law or the functioning of law (or not) as a coherent system of norms.
MCLJ's research mainly takes place in the following pillars:
1. Values
2. Institutions
3. Markets
5. Digitalisation
News
Francesco Mauri wins Maastricht Consulates Prize 2024
On 10 December, Francesco Mauri was awarded the Maastricht Consulates Prize on EU Law 2024 for the best master’s thesis on EU law at the Maastricht University Faculty of Law. This prestigious prize, valued at €1,000, recognises academic excellence and innovation in EU law.
Inaugural lecture by prof.dr. Maja Brkan
On 29 November 2024, MCEL member Maja Brkan, Judge at the General Court of the European Union, gave her inaugural lecture on 'Digitalisation and EU fundamental rights: the good, the bad and the opaque'.
From Having a Seat to Having a Say: European Organisations of Persons With Disabilities in the International Monitoring of the Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities
PhD thesis written by Hanxu Liu
This research aims to answer the main research question: whether and if so, how have European OPDs effectively participated in the UN human rights mechanisms, with a view to monitoring the national implementation of human rights in alignment with the CRPD?
The Values of the European Union as Legal Rules: Lessons from the Union’s Reaction to Constitutional Backsliding
PhD thesis written by Martina Coli
This thesis investigated the paths for transforming the founding values of the European Union enshrined in Article 2 TEU into legal obligations binding on the Member States.
Death in denial. A study into the Dutch system of postmortem investigation
PhD thesis written by Cécile Woudenberg-van den Broek
Recent reports on forensic medicine in the Netherlands highlight the need for significant improvements in postmortem investigations. This thesis questions the adequacy of the Dutch system, arguing that it may not meet the criteria set by the...
