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Legal scholars warn: the current evaluation system does not take sufficient account of the specific characteristics of law as an academic discipline

The Faculty of Law of the University of Maribor, the Faculty of Law of the University of Ljubljana and the European Faculty of Law of the New University, together with the Association of Slovenian Lawyers’ Societies and the Association of Slovenian Commercial Law Societies, organised a national conference entitled ‘The Evaluation of Legal Science in Slovenia’ on 14 May 2026. The conference, which featured the presentation of the Manifesto for Legal Science in Slovenia, brought together representatives of all Slovenian law faculties, the judiciary, the legal profession, research institutions, and renowned domestic and international experts in legal science and research evaluation.

The central message of the conference was that current research evaluation systems fail to adequately take into account the specific characteristics of law as a scientific discipline, which may, in the long term, undermine the development of Slovenian legal science, legal terminology and the rule of law. Although the international openness of legal science is necessary and welcome, an excessive reliance on bibliometric indicators and publication in international journals does not fully reflect the contribution of legal science to the development of legislation, case law and the quality of the legal system. Participants pointed out that such an approach could, in the long term, weaken the professional development of Slovenian law and its ability to respond to the needs of society.

Participants pointed out that the current research evaluation system places excessive emphasis on bibliometric indicators and publication in international journals, whilst undervaluing legal monographs, commentaries on legislation and publications in Slovenian legal journals, even though it is precisely these forms of research work that often form the basis for the development of legal doctrine and support for judicial practice.

In his address, Professor Janez Kranjc highlighted the fundamental mission of legal science. As he emphasised, legal science systematises the law, develops legal concepts, critically assesses legislation, proposes reforms and helps to understand and predict the effects of legal rules on society. Therefore, it can only perform its task effectively if it also develops in the language in which legislation, case law and legal discourse are produced. Prof. Dr Kranjc pointed out that unduly favouring publications in foreign journals creates a vicious circle in which domestic legal journals lose their best authors, and with them, quality and development potential. In his view, foreign-language discussions cannot replace professional discourse in the language of law, as ‘legal discussions in a foreign language cannot replace discussions in the language of legislation and court proceedings’. He also emphasised the importance of the Slovenian legal language as part of legal culture and national identity.

One of the central themes of the conference was that the quality of research work should be assessed on the basis of its content and scientific value, rather than primarily on the basis of the language or place of publication. As Academician Kranjc emphasised, universities and research institutions should assess the quality of work themselves, rather than leaving the assessment solely to bibliometric systems and the editorial boards of foreign journals. “The subject of assessment in habilitation procedures should not be the language or place of publication, but the quality and depth of the work.”

Participants also highlighted the importance of fundamental legal research and adequate funding for legal research projects. The state’s research policy should not be based on the assumption that law is merely one aspect of broader interdisciplinary research, but must also facilitate independent legal research projects. In this context, it was also emphasised that the state’s research policy should give greater recognition to the importance of European projects in the field of justice and the rule of law (such as the Justice programme), which make a significant contribution to the development of the Slovenian and European legal space.

Renowned international experts in research evaluation and legal science from the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Germany and other European countries also made a significant contribution to the discussion. Their contributions demonstrated that the challenges facing Slovenia are not unique and that many countries are seeking a balance between the international comparability of research and the preservation of national languages, legal traditions and monographs as the central form of legal research.

Participants agreed that work must continue in the field of the evaluation of legal science and that concrete proposals should be drawn up regarding the evaluation of legal monographs, the status of domestic legal journals, the funding of fundamental legal research, and the recognition of the specific characteristics of legal science in the state’s research policies.

The conference confirmed the broad consensus within the Slovenian legal community that the evaluation of legal science must be adapted to its specific characteristics and social role. Given the universality of legal science as a field of research, the preservation and development of the Slovenian legal professional and scientific language are key prerequisites for the professional development of Slovenian law, the high-quality functioning of the judiciary, and the strengthening of the rule of law. The aim of the proposals presented in the Manifesto for Legal Science in Slovenia is therefore not to diminish the importance of international excellence, but to establish a more balanced system that will simultaneously promote cutting-edge research and support the development of the Slovenian legal order in the public interest.