Dear reader,

Abstract

Back in 1996, the foreword to the first issue of Juridica International conceptualised JI as a special edition of Juridica, the Estonian-language law journal published by the Faculty of Law of the University of Tartu. The purpose of the international edition was articulated as ‘providing an overview of the Estonian legal system and reporting on developments in legal reform’.

The concept and aim of Juridica International have evolved considerably since. Over the years, JI has developed into a well-established international law journal. Many globally renowned scholars and jurists have published pieces in Juridica International. This forum continues to provide insight into developments cultivated in Estonia’s legal system, thereby maintaining its de facto position as one of the most reliable sources of information on the Estonian legal order for an international audience. However, most of the works published in today’s Juridica International are analytical articles that clearly meet international research standards.

Juridica International’s core aspects have remained unchanged over time. Faculty of Law members still are expected to publish quality papers in Juridica International. Doctoral students and other early-career researchers find publication in this journal to be both a key ambition and a worthy challenge on their path as scholars. While Juridica International is open to submissions from young researchers, it offers them no concessions; in fact, the peer-review process involved is often more stringent than that applied to their senior colleagues internationally. Furthermore, the noteworthy standing of the Faculty of Law’s doctoral students – who are typically leading legal practitioners in their respective fields – renders their contributions particularly compelling and inspiring. For their senior colleagues with the faculty, publishing research in Juridica International is a matter of professional pride. Consequently, one can justifiably conclude that JI has become an essential part of the institutional identity. In other words, it serves as a conditio sine qua non for the University of Tartu’s Faculty of Law.

The volume you are now perusing continues to follow the journal’s solidly established direction. The articles range from legal analysis and case studies to interdisciplinary empirical research, with topics encompassing both traditional legal matters and various emerging challenges posed by technological advances. Some cover both. For instance, the pages of this issue provide an overview of empirical data on today’s handling of education-related exceptions to copyright protections. Additionally, readers will find two articles focusing directly on intellectual property, specifically the patent system and the author’s right to integrity in public contracts. Constitutional and human-rights issues are explored in connection with constitutions’ preambles and in discussion of the global garment industry. Several of the articles address highly pressing contemporary challenges, among them data-driven public administration and electronic signatures. Another prominent facet is EU law, particularly with regard to criminal liability and competition. In addition, the papers grapple with the complexities of soft law in the financial sector and public procurement. Drawing together several threads encompassed by this issue’s discussion, one article declares in its title that there are more questions than answers.

That is a significant observation indeed. Often, identifying the problems, delineating them properly, and asking the right questions proves more difficult than offering technically correct answers. As Voltaire suggested, we should judge people by their questions rather than their answers. Juridica International No. 33 certainly raises many important and thought-provoking questions.