Mak, Vanessa; Tjong Tjin Tai, Eric; Berlee, Anna --- "Conclusion" [2018] ELECD 1453; in Mak, Vanessa; Tjong Tjin Tai, Eric; Berlee, Anna (eds), "Research Handbook in Data Science and Law" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2018) 448

Book Title: Research Handbook in Data Science and Law

Editor(s): Mak, Vanessa; Tjong Tjin Tai, Eric; Berlee, Anna

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN: 9781788111294

Section: Chapter 19

Section Title: Conclusion

Author(s): Mak, Vanessa; Tjong Tjin Tai, Eric; Berlee, Anna

Number of pages: 15

Abstract/Description:

At the outset of this book the question was put forth: do data-driven technologies require regulation, and vice versa, how does data science advance legal scholarship? While there is no resounding answer one way or the other to the first question, we can deduce from the analyses put forward by our authors that the rise of the so-called data economy does pose challenges to regulators. The challenges are diverse and the answers to the – many – questions put forward in the previous chapters will likely be manifold. We nevertheless perceive some common issues that regulators are likely to encounter in each of the areas of law that were examined. We summarize them in section 2 of this conclusion, and elaborate some thoughts on the direction in which future research on the regulatory aspects of data-driven technologies may be headed. The second part of the book considered the increasing use of data science in legal scholarship and legal practice. Here also, challenging questions for future research have been identified by our authors. While the replacement of lawyers and judges by robots may still be a science-fiction dream (or nightmare), the use of data analysis in law is changing the way in which we approach legal (research) questions. We summarize the tentative findings in this field in section 3 of this conclusion. We round off the book with a final question: with data science and law, are we witnessing the emergence of a new discipline?