Contemporary Challenges in Law (9710) |
| Credits: 6,0 | | Study load hours: 162 | Period: semester 1 (6sp)  |
| Language of instruction: English | | Exam contract: not possible |
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Students can express themselves sufficiently clearly in English.
Students are able to find, comprehend and abstract information from various (digital) English sources.
Students can engage in respectful debate with fellow students and the teaching team.
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The content of the course Contemporary Challenges in Law will vary depending on current developments in the legal field, new research insights or social relevance. Students are introduced to current issues that fit within these developments.
The topic of the 2026-2027 course will be:
Law and Artificial Intelligence: (Gender)Inequalities in the algorithmic age
Objective
< p>The main goal of this course is to introduce students to the law of artificial intelligence, the technologies and concepts behind AI, and to develop an understanding of the interdisciplinary, legal, and ethical issues raised by the emergence of AI. This will be illustrated through specific cases and existing (as well as proposed) regulatory and technical frameworks, with a particular emphasis on social justice, equality and non-discrimination and the concept of algorithmic discrimination.
Course summary
The course offers a broad overview of AI law from a social‑justice perspective with a special
focus on equality and non-discrimination. An overview of how algorithms and AI systems work - and their societal impacts - as well as an analysis of the EU AI Act and its relevance for enforcing algorithmic discrimination alongside existing equality and non-discrimination laws will be illustrated through practical cases and jurisprudence. The use of AI for administrative and private sector decisions (employment, taxes, social benefits, health, etc.), judicial decisions, and policing raises important questions of accountability and transparency. Algorithmic discrimination, the origin of biases and discriminatory outcomes in the design of AI and the datasets and the protection of fundamental rights are addressed to illustrate AI’s impact on citizens’ rights and to present policy and legal solutions. Transformations of the world of work in general - and employer‑employee relationships in particular (job posting, recruitment, career progression, contract termination) - are examined.
The course considers diverse learner profiles and strives to be inclusive, equitable, and interactive (using digital tools such as Wooclap,), grounded in European law and international law, scholarship and jurisprudence.
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the course, students will possess the technical, theoretical, legal, and methodological notions and tools necessary to understand and critically analyze the legal challenges posed by AI. This will enable them to discuss AI‑related legal questions, solve practical cases, and reflect critically on possible regulation and legal frameworks of AI. The course also tries to reflect on the possibilities and limits of AI for legal education.
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| Compulsory course material |
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All course materials will be posted on Blackboard. |
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| Remarks |
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A number of the course activities will take place online.
The overview of which activities will take place on campus or online will be available to the students in MyTimetable. |
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Lecture ✔
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Tutorial group ✔
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Semester 1 (6,00sp)
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| Additional information | In consultation with the Education Management Team and the Student Administration, the lecturer determines the schedule and the examination format for a possible catch-up exam. The examination format may deviate from the examination format used during the regular examination period. The schedule and examination format will be communicated to the student after the request for a catch-up exam has been approved. |
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Second examination period
| Evaluation second examination opportunity different from first examination opprt | |
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| Explanation (English) | In principle, the evaluation form remains the same for the second
examination opportunity as the first exam opportunity.
Depending on the number of participants, the evaluation form can be
changed for the second examination opportunity. |
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Learning outcomes | EC = learning outcomes DC = partial outcomes BC = evaluation criteria |
Master of Laws
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- EC
| EC02 - A graduate of the Master of Laws programme has specialised academic knowledge of and insight into the doctrines and systematics of those branches of law relevant to the elective subjects in the master’s programme, including from a European and comparative law perspective. They are able to apply that knowledge and those insights, including from a European and comparative law perspective. (academic, specifically legal, skills and knowledge) | - EC
| EC03 - A graduate of the Master of Laws programme has insight into the recent societal developments and the academic research in the sector. (academic, specifically legal, skills and knowledge) | - EC
| EC06 - A graduate of the Master of Laws programme is able to critically and independently use, consult and select various Dutch, English and French (digital) legal sources. (general academic research competences) | - EC
| EC07 - A graduate of the Master of Laws programme is able to analyse, process and make responsible use of legislation, case law, legal doctrine and other legal sources. (general academic research competences) | - EC
| EC10 - A graduate of the Master of Laws programme is able to identify the various stakeholders and their specific interests in a complex problem and to integrate those in their own reasoning and approach. (general competency) | - EC
| EC11 - A graduate of the Master of Laws programme is able to adequately communicate and present their own ideas, positions and solutions in various contexts, both orally or in writing, using the Dutch, English and French (legal) language. (general competency) | - EC
| EC13 - A graduate of the Master of Laws programme recognizes ethical and societal aspects within a legal context, can critically reflect upon them and can guide their own judgement based on these ethical considerations, taking into account their responsibilities as a lawyer. (general competency) | - EC
| EC14 - A graduate of the Master of Laws programme possesses legal knowledge, basic knowledge of information and communication technologies, and digital skills, which are necessary in a rapidly evolving digital society. The master of law can apply these acquired competencies critically and ethically. (general competency) | - EC
| EC15 - A graduate of the Master of Laws programme demonstrates a critical attitude, and is able to gain overview of a variety of legal positions, to assess them critically and to arrive at one's own, substantiated legal opinion. (general competency) | - EC
| EC16 - A graduate of the Master of Laws programme is able to contribute in a group, in an active and constructive manner, to a common goal in a multidisciplinary context. (general competency) |
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| Included in these programmes | Tolerance3 |
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Y
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choice master for corporate (UH)
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Y
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choice master for private (UH)
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Y
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Exchange Programme Laws
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Y
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Master of Laws Government and Law
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Y
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1 Education, Examination and Legal Position Regulations art.12.2, section 2. |
| 2 Education, Examination and Legal Position Regulations art.15.1, section 3. |
3 Education, Examination and Legal Position Regulations art.16.9, section 2.
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