eLaw – Center for Law and Digital Technologies
Hans Franken Lecture
The Hans Franken Lecture honors the legacy of Prof. Dr. Mr. Hans Franken, a founding figure of eLaw in 1985.
Hans Franken
As Professor Emeritus of Law and Information and a former dean of the Leiden Law School, Hans Franken has made significant contributions to the field of law and digital technologies. A distinguished member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences since 1988, he also served as a State Council member (1984–1987) and as vice-president of the Senate of the Dutch national parliament (2004–2015).
Hans Franken Lecture
The Hans Franken Lecture is a tribute to an extraordinary career and a continuing inspiration for advancing the study of law and digital transformation. Since its inception in 2018, this annual lecture has become a hallmark event, featuring prominent officials and scholars who address pressing issues at the intersection of law and technology.
Former speakers
Past speakers include leading voices from academia, government, and international organizations, reflecting the lecture's reputation for thought-provoking dialogue and insight. Our Hans Franken Speakers include:
In 2024 the Hans Franken Lecture was part of eLaw's 2-day conference on AI & Data Protection. It was was given by Professor Roger Brownsword (University College London). Professor Brownsword’s address delved into the intricate balance between leveraging the potential of digital technologies and upholding fundamental values and principles within governance frameworks, which was a key theme of the conference.
On June 30, eLaw - Center for Law and Digital Technologies of Leiden University organised the annual Hans Franken Lecture. This year the lecture was delivered by Jan Kleijssen, former Human Rights Director at the Council of Europe. The title of the lecture was: 'AI and Human Rights'.
On 20 May 2022, eLaw - Center for Law and Digital Technologies of Leiden University organised the Hans Franken lecture for the third time. This year the lecture was delivered by Aleid Wolfsen, chairman of the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (Data Protection Authority (DPA)), the privacy watchdog of the Netherlands.
On 15 November 2019 Professor Janneke Gerards held the second annual Hans Franken lecture at the Law Faculty of Leiden University. The title of the lecture was: Fundamental rights challenges of algorithms.
On October 19 2018, the Center for Law and Digital Technologies of Leiden University (eLaw) organized the first annual Hans Franken lecture. The lecture; "Digital law spoken. Justice done?" was given by Corien Prins.