One of our key projects is the development and testing of a fully digital enforcement procedure. The aim is to make the previous paper-based and often lengthy processes more efficient, transparent and user-friendly. In close cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, we are focusing on innovative technical solutions that not only significantly reduce administrative costs, but also strengthen legal certainty and traceability. In this way, we are making an important contribution to the digitalisation of the legal system and laying the foundation for a sustainable judiciary.
LegalTech Lab
It’s not just about technology. It’s about rethinking justice—making it simpler, faster, and accessible to everyone.
The German judicial system is currently undergoing a profound digital transformation. Civil proceedings, in particular, are proving to be a suitable arena for experimentation and development in this modernization effort. This development is of immediate importance for Saxony-Anhalt: As a large state with a staffing situation in the judiciary that is more strained than the national average, the state is particularly reliant on smart digital solutions that relieve existing capacities and accelerate proceedings. The proximity of the MLU Halle LegalTech Lab to the region’s courts and enforcement authorities presents a rare opportunity: research findings can be not only developed theoretically but also tested and refined directly within the regional judicial environment, potentially positioning Saxony-Anhalt as a model region for digital enforcement in Germany.
Video hearings in civil proceedings are now well established, and electronic case files are also gaining increasing acceptance. It is striking, however, that digitization initiatives to date have focused almost exclusively on trial proceedings, while enforcement proceedings have received little attention. This neglect is particularly noteworthy, as the structural formalization of enforcement proceedings would greatly facilitate the implementation of digital processes and, at the same time, promise significant efficiency gains.
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Added to this is the high practical relevance: a final judgment alone does not guarantee material compensation; only the enforcement of the enforceable claims leads to the actual realization of the rights awarded. Against the backdrop of the worsening shortage of skilled workers—which affects not only fully qualified lawyers but also bailiffs and judicial officers—the development of digital strategies for enforcement appears to be an urgent task for the future. Our research project at the LegalTechLab JTC addresses this issue.
Our work can currently be characterized as basic research. Within the scope of the project, we have defined three phases and have now completed the first phase. In this initial phase, the focus was on assessing the current state of research: relevant literature was identified, systematically reviewed, and entered into a dedicated database. Beyond the mere collection of data, the emphasis was on the methodological structuring of the sources. Each source was not only documented but also tagged with topic-specific keywords—including, for example, “cloud,” “electronic title register,” or “smart contracts.”
As a result, we were able to identify more than 50 relevant sources and organize them into thematic clusters using a targeted keyword system. With the help of the knowledge management tool Obsidian, we were able to link sources, keywords, and thematic clusters into a dynamic network. This form of knowledge organization not only provided us with a quick overview of thematic clusters but also allowed us to visualize cross-connections that remain hidden in traditional literature management systems. This enabled us to identify which subject areas have already been extensively researched and which have received little scholarly attention to date.
