NOVA Knowledge Centre for Data-Driven Law

About Us

The NOVA Knowledge Centre for Data-Driven Law (DDL Centre) promotes the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 16, dedicated to Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG16), through the involvement of legal experts in multidisciplinary research teams aimed at collecting and analyzing data, relying on the collaboration of colleagues with training in data analytics, economic and social sciences, among others.

More broadly, DDL supports, produces and stimulates the search for data-driven responses to the most pressing societal challenges of the 21st Century, in order to provide better and more accurate diagnosis of law reform needs; redesign and adjust existing legal instruments; and measure the impact of public policy decisions.

To this end, DDL Centre: i) organizes seminars, conferences and offers dedicated training aimed at spreading data-driven research in the NOVA School of Law research community; ii) establishes collaboration outside the NOVA School of Law, inside but also outside Universidade NOVA de Lisboa; and iii) seeks public and private funding to support, produce and stimulate data-driven legal research.

Activities

Over the course of the year, various research projects were carried out, such as “Multiversity Project – White Paper on multiple and intersectional discrimination” and “Effectiveness of K&C Requirements for Staff Imposed by the MCD”. Research was also done regarding “Personalised Pricing” and “Semi-automated Systematic Literature Reviews and Legal Studies”, with a focus on “Mapping Court Summons Patterns”. Regarding EU Law, there was a research focus on “Digital Vulnerability and Hyper-Development Mechanisms” and “the Draft Regulation on the Safety of Toys”.

The centre also collaborated on various events, such as the international conference “Digital Vulnerability and EU Private Law”; and the “I International Conference of the Jean Monnet Module on European Union Insurance Law”, both in July. On November 21^st, DDL Center also made an appearance on the NOVA Science & Innovation Day.

With the support of the centre, the e-course “Insurance and Sustainable Development Goals” was published on the NAU platform, starting on 14^th November and scheduled to end in July 2024.

Highlights in Outputs and Impact

Regarding the research projects developed, the “Multiversity Project – White Paper on multiple and intersectional discrimination” coordinated by Professor Margarida Lima Rego. Its aim is to build a scientifically grounded recommendation, based on multidisciplinary knowledge, to level up and harmonise anti-discrimination protections in Portugal. To this end, data on the issue was collected from public organisations such as CIG, INR, CITE, CICDR and ACT. Several meetings were also held, both with Portuguese NGOs, and with other important personalities for the cause.

Professor Fabrizio Esposito is conducting and coordinating research on data-driven commercial practices, specifically in the context of EU Law, with the aim of stimulating the creation of legal instruments that, by considering these findings, are more effective in protecting the average consumer. His investigation includes projects regarding the “Digital Vulnerability and Hyper-involvement Mechanisms”, “Personalised Pricing” and “Written Observations on the Draft Regulation on the Safety of Toys”.