Research

Research profile

The wide range of research carried out by our faculty is reflected, among other things, in the large number of specialized institutes with special research focuses (e.g. medical law, European human rights protection), which enable modern and intensive research in almost all areas of law. Almost every chair is assigned its own institute with one or more research interests, some of which are unique in Germany. By taking this approach, the Faculty of Law is able to identify emerging trends in the legal field at an early stage, that are of great societal relevance and that are likely to give rise to significant legal challenges in the future.  

One primary characteristic of the entire research is that it not only examines questions of national law, but also considers comparative law and international dimensions. It ensures both foundational and practice-oriented research and constantly seeks exchange with other disciplines and societal stakeholders.

The Faculty of Law thus promotes and supports the application and further development of the law not only in legal practice, but also to a significant extent in politics and society.

The Faculty of Law’s research is dedicated in particular to six major research fields, which are interconnected by numerous cross-cutting themes:Almost every chair is assigned its own institute with one or more research interests, some of which are unique in Germany. In doing so, the Faculty of Law identifies emerging trends at an early stage that are of great societal relevance and involve the legal challenges of the future.  

The main characteristic of the entire research is that it not only examines questions of national law, but also considers comparative law and international dimensions. It ensures both foundational and practice-oriented research and constantly seeks exchange with other disciplines and societal stakeholders.

The Faculty of Law thus promotes and supports the application and further development of the law not only in legal practice, but also to a significant extent in politics and society.

The Faculty of Law’s research is dedicated in particular to six major research fields, which are interconnected by numerous cross-cutting themes:

Digitalisation

Today, digitalization affects practically all economic sectors and areas of life. The beginning of the 21st century is characterised by a comprehensive digital transformation, which is referred to as the "4th Industrial Revolution" and brings profound upheavals as well as numerous opportunities. With its high pace of innovation, it is shaping the media as well as public and private communication in social media, but increasingly also the world of work, healthcare, law enforcement, administration, political discourse and many other fields. The challenges range from the foundations and limits of intellectual property rights and data and privacy protection in the information society to the question if and which further development of regulation and supervision is needed in a world characterized by increasing digitalization and globalization. The law must accompany these rapid economic and social developments and set guidelines for them. However, it must also leave them space and ensure that socially valuable innovation and citizens' rights to freedom are not unnecessarily restricted by over-regulation. This can only succeed if legal professionals broaden their disciplinary horizons and gain a basic understanding of the non-legal aspects of regulation as well, and transmit this understanding in their teaching.

Human Rights

The Faculty of Law in Cologne has focused on the european human rights protection without neglecting non-European references. The realisation that human rights play a role not only in international law and European law, but are also gaining significance in all other legal disciplines, has long been recognised in Cologne. In fact, there is no legal branch in Cologne that does not conduct research on human rights issues. The spectrum ranges from "classical" international law and European law to constitutional and administrative law, international criminal law, European criminal law, international criminal justice, legal history, family, commercial and corporate law, international private and procedural law, religious law and labor law. With the Academy for Europen Human Rights Protection, the Institute for International Peace and Security Law and the International Investment Law Centre Cologne, the Faculty of Law provides institutions that offer important institutional prerequisites for research into human rights issues in specific constellations.

Internationalisation of the law

From very early on, the Faculty of Law has addressed legal issues arising from increasing international interdependencies between individuals, societies, institutions and states. With its large number of experts in international and European law, the Faculty probably has a unique concentration of specialists in the country, whose institutes cover the field of international and European law as comprehensively as possible. The Institute for Air and Space Law, the Institute for International Peace and Security Law and the International Investment Law Centre Cologne (IILCC) in particular are pioneers in this field. Alongside numerous other institutes dealing with private law issues relating to internationalisation (e.g. questions of the development of European private law or transnational commercial law), the Institute for International and Foreign Private Law has been one of the most significant of its kind in Germany for over 65 years. The Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law has a tradition that is almost as long, having conducted research into comparative criminal law, European criminal law and international criminal law since 1961.

Commercial law

In Cologne, a notable emphasis has invariably been placed on the identification of areas of paramount significance to both commercial enterprises and the promotion of economic and social cohesion within the framework of a social market economy. The Institute for Labour and Commercial Law, a prominent institution in the field, has maintained the valuable yet rare tradition of integrating the economically significant disciplines of labour, commercial and social law. Furthermore, a significant number of institutes, some of which are regarded as leaders in their respective academic domains – such as the Institute for German and European Labour and Social Law (IDEAS) – address these domains and their national and international concerns pertaining to financial, corporate, competition and regulatory law. This research is complemented by work in medical, health and insurance law, as well as in the law governing the liberal professions, which is equally important from an economic perspective. The procedural law aspect is covered in particular by the Institute for Procedural Law and Insolvency Law. Despite the fact that the present research focus is rooted in the domain of private law, its extensive influence extends to a range of related disciplines, including administrative economic law, energy law, environmental law, tax and accounting law, and commercial criminal law.

Foundations of Law

Legal research is virtually impossible without an understanding of the fundamentals. For this reason, three institutes alone (the Institute for Modern History of Private Law, German and Rhenish Legal History, the Institute for Historical Comparative Law and the Institute for Roman Law) investigate the historical foundations of law from antiquity to the modern era. Basic research at our faculty also encompasses both an examination of the legal-philosophical, legal-political and legal-theoretical foundations of our legal system (e.g. in the Seminar for Political Philosophy and Legal Policy or at the Institute for Religious Law) and criminology, which, as an interdisciplinary, empirical science, examines the effectiveness of criminal law interventions as well as the behaviour of offenders, victims, the general public and the institutions of social control.

State and citizens

The Faculty of Law continues to regard the study of the relationship between the citizen and the state as the mission entrusted to it when the University of Cologne was founded. The core areas of constitutional and administrative law, alongside public commercial law and ecclesiastical law, have historically been the primary focus of its research. The Institute for German and European Science Law is likely to be unique in this context.

At the University of Cologne, good research practice is regarded as a prerequisite for research and teaching at the highest level. The central principles for good research practice at the University of Cologne are set out in the "Guidelines of the University of Cologne on Good Research Practice of January 25, 2022" (Amtliche Mitteilungen 8/2022, english version). Further information on good research practice at the University of Cologne can be found at https://uni-koeln.de/en/research/at-a-glance/academic-principles/safeguarding-good-research-practice.

The ombudsman for hearing allegations of academic misconduct is Professor Dr. Frank Neubacher M.A.