Funded Projects

The Mercator-funded research project aims to examine the flood disaster in the Ahr Valley on July 14, 2021, from a social science perspective and to develop empirically grounded recommendations for action.

Until the end of 2028, the interdisciplinary team at the University of Bonn, in cooperation with the Wuppertal Institute, will examine existing regulations and administrative processes in private reconstruction, as well as key prerequisites for social cohesion, the preservation of democracy, and the implementation of climate protection and adaptation measures.

The goal is to provide policy-relevant data and case-specific solutions for the Ahr Valley and, furthermore, to derive general recommendations for other regions.

I lead the subproject “Climate Protection and Adaptation in Private Reconstruction” together with JProf. Dr. Jacqueline Lorenzen.

The triumph of machine decision-making marks a turning point for law and society. The research group's objectives are to identify the challenges and potential of machine decision-making for the functions of law in modern societies, to develop legal design options, and to reassess the role of jurisprudence in the context of machine decision-making.

I am project leader of the subproject "Use of Artificial Intelligence in Civil Proceedings" (SP 4), which examines whether the law on civil procedure can better fulfil its core functions – such as ensuring legal certainty and protecting fundamental rights – if decisions are taken over, either partially or entirely, by AI.

This project is funded by Horizon Europe  and examines the rise of “incognito justice”, i.e. the anonymization of judicial decisions. Open adjudication underpins democratic legitimacy, yet EU member states diverge on whether to disclose litigants’ names: some publish them, others mandate strict anonymization, and many adopt hybrid approaches. 

Conventional wisdom typically frames this choice as a trade-off between privacy and open justice. We argue, however, that this framing understates anonymization’s broader effects. Incognito justice shapes the behavior and perceptions of judges, the media, citizens, and the legal community, with consequences for consistency, accountability, and public trust.

Within the consortium, I will lead two working packages, starting September 2026.