Elise Goossens tenure track asst. professor

Research Elise Goossens

Research team

Expertise

I study civil law from a law-in-context perspective. My research focuses substantively on family law, succession law, and (private) law and gender, and methodologically on socio-legal and comparative legal research approaches. My current research priorities are: 1. Gender and private law 2. Protection mechanisms in family law vs. economic private law 3. Family diversity and succession law

Reproductive autonomy in the European legal context: A multidimensional approach. 01/11/2025 - 31/10/2029

Abstract

This research analyses the legal translation of reproductive autonomy in European legal frameworks through a multidimensional lens. It integrates individual, social/relational, institutional, and societal dimensions to address the multiplicity of factors that influence the experience and protection of reproductive autonomy. While theoretical developments in philosophy, bioethics, and feminist theory support broad understandings of reproductive autonomy, the legal implications of this notion remain uncertain. National legal approaches vary, with some European jurisdictions expanding and others restricting the contours of autonomy, while the European Court of Human Rights has yet to substantively address some of its key dimensions. This project examines how a multidimensional framework of reproductive autonomy can be incorporated into legal systems to strengthen reproductive rights within the Council of Europe. By analysing national legal and policy frameworks in France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, it identifies good practices and challenges. It also evaluates ECtHR case law on abortion, contraception and medically assisted reproduction to understand its responsiveness to evolving meanings of reproductive autonomy, while acknowledging the limitations of supranational frameworks.

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Project type(s)

  • Research Project

Legal protections in family and economic relationships (project FAM*ECO). 01/03/2025 - 28/02/2029

Abstract

While the law increasingly offers legal protections for 'weaker' parties in economic relationships, this is not the case to the same extent in family relationships. In economic relationships, there are numerous examples of protective legal rules that seek to mitigate or compensate power imbalances between the parties, both before, during and at the end of the relationship. In family relationships between intimate partners, such protective rules are much more sparse, or even completely absent. In case a relationship hits rough ground, one is thus better off as a business partner than as an intimate partner. This discrepancy raises questions about the underlying rationales and assumptions that shape legal protections in the family and the economic sphere, and about the value(s) that we attach to the family and the market. However, legal protections in private relationships are rarely ever studied in an integrated way, which severely hinders a critical evaluation. By critically comparing and challenging legal protections for 'weaker' parties in family and economic relationships, project FAM*ECO aims to contribute to a comprehensive framework for legal protections in private law and to advance the conversation about family and market values.

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  • Research Project

Liability, responsibility, and agency: Redefining private law in the era of Autonomous AI. 01/01/2025 - 31/12/2026

Abstract

Traditionally, private law rests on a fundamental dichotomy between persons and things. Persons are recognized as holders of rights and duties, capable of engaging in legal transactions, while things are considered entities without legal agency or rights. However, the rapid development of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems challenges this strict division, as these entities increasingly interact with society in complex, impactful ways. This evolution calls for a rethinking of core private law concepts such as responsibility, liability, consent, and causation. For instance, AI's complexity can complicate traditional frameworks of causation and responsibility, challenging established notions of liability. These developments reflect a broader shift that questions private law's rigid classification of 'persons' and 'things' and the relationship between them. Some legal scholars have therefore proposed to recognize an independent legal status for robots and AI (the so-called ePerson).4 The proposed Postdoc Challenge offers the candidate the opportunity to develop an independent research proposal within the broader theme of evolving perspectives on persons and things in private law, focusing on AI and robots, with the aim of securing international research funding. In doing so, the candidate will play a crucial role in shaping the legal approach to robots and AI in the Anthropocene.

Researcher(s)

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

  • Research Project