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 Project Website

 

What is InterLex 
InterLex is a EU-funded project coordinated by the University of Turin, involving five European-wide academic institutions, a software development company specializing in legal informatics, and a Lawyers Association. The aim of the two-year project, which started in September 2018, is to develop a platform for providing information, decision support and training on private international law.

Background 
After the Treaty of Amsterdam came into force on 1 May 1999, the legislative powers for judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters was transferred to EU institutions and private international law was henceforth regulated primarily by means of EU regulations adopted by the Council and the Parliament. The European PIL provisions strive to harmonize the following issues:

1. which state court has jurisdiction in private matters having cross-border implications, 
2. which state law is applicable in such matters, and 
3. under which conditions can a foreign decision be recognized and enforced in another Member State. 

Scientific research on PIL reveals the need for improved understanding of the interaction between European and national laws on PIL, as well as commonalities and differences between different PIL instruments at the national and international level. The need to improve the application of PIL is particularly intense in the domain of Internet Law. PIL issues are involved in many Internet Law cases, issues such as contracts, consumer protection, torts, and data protection. Moreover, the global dimension of today’s information society generates many new complex legal issues pertaining to Internet-related PIL. The development of computational models of PIL can enable a deeper understanding of the logic of PIL instruments, of overlaps, inconsistencies and gaps, and can support both the application of PIL regulation and their reform. The InterLex platform is intended to use such technologies to identify which legal system(s) have jurisdiction in a particular case, the law of which state is applicable, and retrieve relevant legal materials.

Objectives
i) Capacity building of legal professionals, improving knowledge of legislation and case law in the domain of Internet-related private international law where cross-border judicial cooperation is required;
ii) Help ensure that the legal frameworks and regulations linked to judicial cooperation are in line with the EU acquis and relevant case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union;
iii) Increase awareness of judges, legal practitioners and policy-makers of judicial cooperation issues;
iv) Increase legal awareness of economic operators in the digital economy, and help them identify potential legal issues and access relevant materials;
v) Provide free service, mainly directed to legal professionals and law students, but also accessible to all EU citizens.

Transnational Training events
In spring 2020, two Transnational Training events will be held within the project allowing legal practitioners from all EU Member States to participate and increase their knowledge about the application of Private International Law rules to Internet related cases.
The first Transnational Training event was held at the European University Institute on 20-21 February 2020.
The second Transnational Training event was held online and in person by the Rome Bar Council on 14-15 January 2021.