Department of Law

Head of the research group: Professor Tanel Kerikmäe

Members: Katrin Nyman-Metcalf, Ondrej Hamulak, Thomas Hoffman, Tatjana Evas-Peeters, Abel Polese, Archil Chochia, David Ramiro Troitino, Pawan Kumar Dutt, Sandra Särav, Maria Claudia Solarte Vasquez, Agnes Kasper

Doctoral students: Alexander Antonov, Kärt Salumaa, Javad Keypour

Topics and Competences

Keywords: law and technology; EU legal policy; Digital Single market

The research topics are related to law and technology and transfer of knowledge of legal skills.

• Law and eTechnologies: e-residency, cryptocurrencies, smart contracts, 3D printing, software agents, digital evidence, artificial intelligence legal policies and modern technologies. Privacy law. Cyber security.  Ethics of law and technology. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), human rights in European digital era. Rights and duties of digital e-trading.
• ICT law: freedom of expression, e-governance, regular legal analysis of media and communications legislations.
• EU and Private International law: focusing on the topics related to the Digital Single Market); cross-border private law issues, Law of Obligations/Consumer law, Insolvency Law and IP Law.

Selected projects:

• VFP18013, SHADOW: An exploration of the nature of informal economies and shadow practices in the former USSR region (2018−2022).
• Lep18096, Elaborating legal Solutions related to autonomous intelligent technologies (2018-2019).
• VERT19042, The Economic and Legal Evaluation of Digital Ecosystems in the EU (2019−2022).
• VERT19043, EU Charter for and before the national courts (2019−2021).
• VEU18012, Academic Network to perform research services on issues pertaining to Citizenship of the Union rights and related policies (2018−2020).

Selected articles:

• Kerikmäe, T.; Troitino Ramiro, D.; Shumilo, O. (2019). An Idol or an Ideal? A Case Study of Estonian e-Governance: Public Perceptions, myths and misbeliefs. Acta Baltica Historiae et Philosophiae Scientiarum, 7 (1), 71−80.
• Hoffmann, T.; Skwarek, V. (2019). Blockchain, Smart Contracts und Recht - Smart Contracts als Risiko für Informatiker. Informatik Spektrum, 42 (3), 197−204.
• Joamets, K.; Solarte Vasquez, M. C. (2019). Current Challenges of Family Mediation in Estonia. Journal of Contemporary European Studies, 26 (4), 1−12.
• Shumilo, O.; Kerikmäe, T.; Chochia, A. (2019). Restrictions of Russian Internet Resources in Ukraine: National Security, Censorship or Both? Baltic Journal of European Studies, 9 (3), 82−95.

Reports:

• Employment status of gig companies working force in EU/EEA member states.

Head of the Research Group: Associate Professor Holger Mölder

Members: Vlad Alex Vernygora, Agnes Kasper, Evhen Tsybulenko, Abel Polese, Antonius Johannes Hubertus Notermans, David Ramiro Troitino, Peeter Müürsepp

Doctoral students: Noel Foster (visiting researcher, Princeton University)

Topics and Competences

Keywords: new security challenges, cyber security, information warfare, economic security, hybrid security threats, impact of technology to international relations

The research topics are related to international relations, security and technology.

• International relations: International conflicts (post-Soviet space, Middle East). Political and societal reforms of the European Union; the future of NATO; international relations in post-truth environment; East-Asia and Pacific region.
• International security: Information warfare and strategic communication; cyber threats and counter-activities; culture of fear; strategic narratives; hybrid threats; energy security.
• Technology: Information security and digital influence operations; internet and international relations; political and legal aspects of artificial intellect.

Senior lecturer Peeter Müürsepp is active in an independent field of research: history of science, philosophy of science.

Selected projects:

• VA19011, "Youth Opinion and Opportunities for EU Public Diplomacy: Youth Narratives and Perceptions of the EU and EU-Ukraine Relations in Ukraine and the three Baltic States“ (2018−2020).
• VEU19001, "The Emergence of New States in Eastern Europe in 1918 – Lessons for Entire Europe“ (2018−2020)
• COST ACTION 15101: Comparative Analysis of Conspiracy Theories (2016-2020).

Selected articles:

• Notermans, T.; Piattoni, S. (2019). Convergence towards a single economic model? Italy and Germany in the interconnected euro system. West European Politics, 1−26.
• Mölder; H.; Sazonov, V. (2019). The Impact of Russian Anti Western Conspiracy Theories on the Status-related Conflict in Ukraine – the Case of Flight MH17. Baltic Journal of European Studies, 9 (3), 96−115.
• Polese, A; Seliverstova, O (2020). Luxury consumption as identity markers in Tallinn: A study of Russian and Estonian everyday identity construction through consumer citizenship. Journal of Consumer Culture, 20(2), 194-215.
• Tsybulenko, Е.; Platonova, A. (2019). Violations of Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Religion by the Russian Federation as the Occupying Power in Crimea. Baltic Journal of European Studies, 9 (3), 134−147.

Head of the research group: Professor Thomas Hoffmann

Members: Pawan Kumar Dutt, Maria Claudia Solarte Vasquez, Aleksi Kajander, Agnes Kasper, Tatjana Evas-Peeters, Alexander Antonov

Topics and Competences

Keywords: Algorithm-based decision-making and liability, Blockchain and Smart Contracts, Legal Frameworks for Industry 4.0 , Cyber Security, Consumer Law

Selected projects:

• EC tender JUST/2019/CONS/FW/CO01/0094 (2019/10) under Framework contract. JUST/2015/PR/01/0003/Lot 1 -"Preparatory study to gather evidence on ways to empower consumers to play an active role in the green transition" (ICF/Thomas Hoffmann).
• EC tender JUST/2018/CONS/FW/CO01/0146 (2019/02) “Evaluation of the Directive 2002/65/EC concerning the distance marketing of consumer financial services” (Milieu/Thomas Hoffmann).
• VERT20073 "Cyber Aware Students for Public Administrations" (Anna-Maria Osula, Ágnes Kasper).

Selected articles:

• Evas, T. (2020). Civil liability regime for artificial intelligence. The European Parliament's committee on Legal Affairs, 1−232.
• Hoffmann, T. (2020). The Impact of Digital Autonomous Tools on Private Autonomy. Baltic Yearbook of International Law Online, 18, 18−31.
• Kajander, A.; Kasper, A.; Tsybulenko, Е. (2020). Making the Cyber Mercenary – Autonomous Weapons Systems and Common Article 1 of the Geneva Conventions. In: Jančárková, T. et al. (Ed.). 12th International Conference on Cyber Conflict. 20/20 Vision: The Next Decade (79−95). Tallinn: NATO CCDCOE Publications.
• Hoffmann, T.; Skwarek, V. (2019). Blockchain, Smart Contracts und Recht - Smart Contracts als Risiko für Informatiker. Informatik Spektrum, 42 (3), 197−204.
• Hoffmann, T.; (2019). Smart Contracts and Void Declarations of Intent. In: Cappiello, C.; Ruiz Carmona, M. (Ed.). Information Systems Engineering in Responsible Information Systems (168−175). Heidelberg: Springer International Publishing.