Inaugural Event of the European Civil Justice Centre

 In responding to the evolving challenges of civil justice in Europe, ranging from digitalisation and access to justice to cross-border cooperation and procedural innovation, the Centre draws on a strong legacy of empirical, doctrinal, and policy-oriented research. It positions itself as a platform where scholars, practitioners, policymakers, innovators, and civic actors can engage in meaningful dialogue about the future of justice systems across Europe and beyond.

The inaugural event embodies the Centre’s mission by structuring the programme around two distinct yet complementary roundtables: one dedicated to academic perspectives, and the other to policy and practice. This deliberate separation allows each community to articulate its insights, challenges, and innovations in its own terms. Yet the real significance of the event lies in the intersection of these perspectives: convening diverse voices in a single forum and fostering a shared synthesis to encourage cross-pollination of ideas, challenge conventional assumptions, and promote collaborative problem-solving. It is in the encounter between theoretical insight and practical experience, between innovation and policy, that the Centre seeks to generate approaches that are rigorous, actionable, and socially relevant.

Through this engagement, the inaugural event exemplifies the Centre’s broader ambition: to serve as a meeting point where diverse expertise converges, understanding deepens, and initiatives for meaningful reform take root.

🗓️ Programme – Inaugural Event of the European Civil Justice Centre

In-person: Erasmus University Rotterdam, Van der Goot Building, room M2-6 (Galway) - Register here
Online Participation: hosted through Eventbrite/Zoom

9:15 – 9:30 Welcome & Opening Remarks
Speaker(s): Xandra Kramer & Stefaan Voet (Erasmus School of Law and Leuven University, European Civil Justice Centre), Anna Nylund (Bergen University, European Civil Justice Centre)

Welcome to the inaugural event of the European Civil Justice Centre. This Centre is founded in 2025 - hosted by Erasmus School of Law, and supported by the KU Leuven - believing that civil justice is not only a technical legal domain, but a cornerstone of democratic societies, economic development, and the rule of law. It seeks to bridge academic inquiry, practical reform, and civic engagement by bringing together scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and innovators. Our mission is:

•    To serve as a meeting point for academic research, policy innovation, and practical reform in civil justice.
•    To foster interdisciplinary dialogue and collaborative solutions for the evolving challenges of justice in Europe.
•    To support junior researchers, promote societal outreach, and build capacity for policy-relevant research.

This event reflects the Centre’s commitment to inclusivity, innovation, and impact—bringing together voices from across disciplines and sectors to shape the future of civil justice.

9.30-10.00 | Keynote Speech
Title: Justice at the Crossroads: Access, Trust, and Transformation
Speaker: Alan Uzelac (Zagreb University)
A thought-provoking address on the state of civil justice in Europe, focusing on empirical insights, access to justice, and the need for innovation across systems.

10.00-11.00 | Roundtable I – Academic Perspectives
Title: Rethinking Civil Justice: Comparative, Empirical, and Technological Dimensions
Moderated discussion among leading scholars exploring the theoretical and empirical foundations of civil justice reform.
Moderators: Adriani Dori and Jos Hoevenaars (Erasmus School of Law)
Panellists:
•    Eva Storskrubb (Uppsala University) – EU civil procedure and cross-border litigation
•    Magdalena Tulibacka (Emory Law School, Director Center for International and Comparative Law) – Comparative law and global civil justice (remote)
•    Anna van Duin (University of Amsterdam) – Generative AI in civil procedure

Discussant: Burkhard Hess (Vienna University) (remote)

Topics:
•    Comparative approaches to civil justice reform
•    Governance and EU-level procedural developments
•    Empirical legal studies and access to justice
•    The role of technology and AI in dispute resolution

11.00-11.30 | Coffee Break & video message John Sorabji (University College London)

11.30 – 12.30 | Roundtable II – Policy, Practice & Innovation
Title: Delivering Justice: Challenges and Opportunities in Practice
A multi-sectoral dialogue on the practical realities of civil justice, including digital transformation, consumer rights, and procedural innovation.
Moderator: Francesca Ferrari (University of Insubria, Italy)
Participants:
•    Alexandre Biard (Head of Consumer Redress & Enforcement, BEUC; Guest Researcher, ESL) – ADR and civil justice policy from a consumer law enforcement policy
•    Paulien van der Grinten (Ministry of Security and Justice, the Netherlands) – Civil justice policy from a Dutch and EU Perspective
•    David Markworth – Lawyer’s perspectives on access to and innovation of civil justice

Discussant: Christiaan Stokkermans

Topics:
•    Digital transformation and user-oriented justice
•    Consumer protection and civil enforcement
•    Funding mechanisms and sustainability
•    Institutional innovation and the legal profession

12.30 – 13.00 | Synthesis & Closing Statements
Title: Towards a European Civil Justice Ecosystem: Bridging Research, Reform, and Reality
Speakers: Prof. Xandra Kramer (Erasmus School of Law) and Stefaan Voet (KU Leuven)
A reflective conclusion weaving together the day’s insights and outlining the Centre’s role in shaping the future of civil justice.

13.15-14.30 Lunch Reception
(speakers, on invitation)