Faculty of Laws - University of Malta

Toolkit for Legal Practitioners on AI and Fundamental Rights

Welcome to the REFRAIME Toolkit for Legal Practitioners on AI and Fundamental Rights.

This five-module toolkit features a range of resources designed to assist and support legal practitioners – judges, prosecutors, lawyers, experts at fundamental rights watchdogs and other public authorities, scholars within academia and civil society, and activists – as they navigate the fast-evolving landscape of AI deployment and use.

https://refraime.csd.eu/legal-toolkit/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEwczBRcGdpNjlxUFBaZkZXU3NydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR4t8THIVylcCHFcPvyorh7waXfGphnUvrXMQPm7zV7uBqsFbnmD4hxAuAjaPQ_aem_ZxXVfLeuJfM9nJZMYBmU9Q

Legal Toolkit - Refraime Toolkit for Legal Practitioners on AI and Fundamental Rights Welcome to the REFRAIME Toolkit for Legal Practitioners on AI and Fundamental Rights. This five-module toolkit features a range of resources designed to assist and support legal practitioners – judges, prosecutors, lawyers, experts at fu...

Our students and academic staff are making significant strides in a national project. They have been diligently transcribing nineteenth-century Sea Protests drafted by Notary William Stevens and his son, William John Stevens, who both practised in Malta.

These formal legal declarations recorded crucial incidents at sea, such as storms and disputes, protecting the interests of captains, shipowners, and merchants. As rich historical sources, they provide valuable insights into maritime trade and legal practices in the Mediterranean during the nineteenth century.

The students' hard work will contribute to the NotaryPedia project, helping to create datasets that will support future AI-assisted research into Malta’s documentary heritage.

Stay tuned for more updates!

🌟 Exciting News! 🌟

Our Faculty's students from the Master's program in Notarial Studies, along with our dedicated academic staff, are actively contributing to an important national project. They are conducting workshops focused on transcribing historical documents, ensuring that our rich heritage is preserved for future generations.

Stay tuned for updates on this meaningful initiative!

Excited to announce that we will be showcasing the NotaryPedia Project at the Notarial Registers Archive in Valletta.

NotaryPedia is a collaborative research initiative between the University of Malta and the Notarial Archives Foundation, funded by the Ministry for Culture, Lands and Local Government. Our multidisciplinary team is developing an AI-assisted platform to transcribe, interpret, and structure over 20,000 volumes of historical Maltese notarial manuscripts spanning five centuries.

University of Malta
Kultura

The showcase will feature live demonstrations of our knowledge pipeline, from automated handwritten text recognition and expert palaeographic review through to knowledge extraction, continual learning, and the platform bringing it all together.

Five centuries of history. One platform to unlock it.

Further updates and highlights from the showcase will be shared following the event.

Exciting Opportunity for our Master’s, PhD, or Postdoctoral Students in Luxembourg! 🌟

Don't miss out on this incredible chance to elevate your academic and professional journey!

The Legal Hub of Excellence, a working group composed of high-level legal experts working in the different EU institutions based in Luxembourg, is organising an EU Legal Summer School in Luxembourg.

Last year AMSDE (Assoċjazzjoni Maltija għall-Istudji tad-Dritt Ewropew), the Maltese branch of the Fédération Internationale pour le Droit Européen ("FIDE"), helped select laureates to the EU Legal Summer School (EULSS), organised in Luxembourg as an interinstitutional initiative.

We are pleased to announce that this initiative – eminently successful in 2025 – will continue in the summer of 2026. As part of the programme, thirty-six students and young professionals (of which 27 would be selected by FIDE national associations) will have the opportunity to spend one week in various EU institutions in Luxembourg, in an ambitious job-shadowing programme that combines professional training, social activities and valuable networking opportunities.

With this initiative, participants will become familiar with the legal services of the EU institutions based in Luxembourg and their day-to-day operations, as well as gain a first-hand experience of EU law in action. The professional training includes workshops by EU law professionals who will provide insight into how their service operates and fits in the wider EU network, the skills required in order to work for them, and the traineeship and career opportunities available.

Through a range of social activities, participants will discover work and life in Luxembourg, one of the three capitals of the EU. A true microcosm of European diversity, Luxembourg blends cultures and languages seamlessly and is a true haven for legal professionals interested in a career in EU law.

When 📆

One week at the end of June (Week of 14 or 28 June - arriving on a Sunday and departing on a Saturday) – dates to be confirmed.

Organisers 📌

The EU Legal Summer School is organised by the Legal Hub of Excellence of the following EU institutions, bodies and organisations in Luxembourg:

The European Parliament;
The European Commission;
The Publications Office of the European Union;
The Court of Justice of the European Union;
The European Court of Auditors;
The European Investment Bank;
The European Stability Mechanism.
What the programme covers

✅What the programme covers:
Accommodation and meals are covered by the programme.
The participants should be able to cover travel costs from their place of origin to Luxembourg and return.

✔Formal requirements and deadlines:

◾ Applicants should have the nationality of one of the 27 Member States.

◾ Applicants should be currently enrolled in a Master’s, Phd, or Postdoctoral course (preferably in EU law) at the University of Malta

◾ Applications should be submitted to the Maltese Association for the Study of European Law at the Faculty of Laws via email 📩[email protected]

◾ Applicants should submit their CV and motivation letter, in English, using the provided templates, as well as a duly completed personal information form.

◾ The deadline for applications is 30 March 2026.

◾ The selected candidates will be informed by the end of May.

Please see the attached documents for additional information.

https://www.fide-europe.org/xms/files/EULSS2026/EULSS_2026_Call_for_applications.pdf
https://www.fide-europe.org/xms/files/EULSS2026/EULSS_2026_Description_flyer_v2.pdf
https://www.fide-europe.org/xms/files/EULSS2026/EULSS_2026_Motivation_Letter_Template.pdf
https://www.fide-europe.org/xms/files/EULSS2026/EULSS_2026_Personal_Information_Form.pdf
https://www.fide-europe.org/xms/files/EULSS2026/List_of_National_Associations_of_FIDE_2026.pdf

Learn more about EU Legal Summer School (EULSS) here: https://www.fide-europe.org/

FIDE, International Federation of European Law Established in 1961, FIDE brings together the European Law Associations of each Member State, as well as of candidate countries and Norway and Switzerland. As the common umbrella organization, it is...

✅Calls for Applications for a Traineeship at the EPO and EUIPO are Now Open!✅

Are you a recent UM graduate, or are you nearing the end of your course? Are you wondering what to do next? Then apply for the Pan-European Seal (PES) Young Professionals Programme. The PES Young Professionals Programme, starting this September, provides exceptional university graduates with the opportunity to gain valuable, hands-on experience in a multicultural environment either at the European Patent Office (EPO) and the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), making it an excellent step forward after graduating!

The European Patent Office is the organ of the intergovernmental European Patent Organisation and is responsible for granting European patents, including drawing up European search reports and examination of European Patent applications. The European Union Intellectual Property Office is the European Union Agency responsible for registering European Union trademarks and European Union designs in the EU, and for running the EU Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights.

The Programme is open to University of Malta graduates who have obtained a full undergraduate, masters or doctorate degree or its equivalent no later than two years prior to the date of the application or University of Malta students who are currently enrolled in the final year of studies with all coursework and examinations due to be completed by September 2026. Students who are currently on exchange at the University of Malta must apply through their home institution and are not eligible to apply through the University of Malta.

✔No prior experience working in Intellectual Property is required and the opportunity is open to various fields including but not limited to STEAM and law.

Applicants who are interested are requested to submit their CV and a motivation letter to the Knowledge Transfer Office (KTO) no later than Wednesday 11 February 2026. Shortlisted candidates will then be invited in for a meeting, between the 17-19 February 2026, with the KTO. In the case for the EUIPO, the KTO will submit a list of recommended candidates to the EUIPO. Nominated candidates will then receive further instructions to submit their applications directly to the respective institution, along with any additional required documents. Those applying for the EPO may do so directly following the meeting with the KTO.

📌The official applications are to be submitted through the respective websites.

The EPO is open for applications between 16 February - 9 March 2026. More information can be found in their guidelines available online and on the slide deck available online.

The EPO is also holding sessions “Discover the EPO Young Professionals Programme!” Current young professionals will share their experiences in a peer-to-peer format, offering an insider’s view of their day-to-day work and programme highlights across core business area and beyond. Students can view the session dates and register their interest so as to receive updates online.

The EUIPO is open for applications between between 1 March - 31 March 2026. More information can be found in guidelines available online, on the information brochure available online and on their Frequently Asked Questions brochure.

The EUIPO will also be holding an online information session on Wednesday 11 February 2026 at 10:30. Interested applicants can register online

Applicants may only submit an application to one of the institutions and only those applicants who have been nominated by the UM will be reviewed by the respective institution.

The KTO shall be holding an online information session on Wednesday 4 February at 12:00. Interested applicants are recommended to register online.

✔For any further queries, kindly contact the Knowledge Transfer Office by email [email protected]

The Faculty of Laws at the University of Malta, in collaboration with the Human Rights Platform (HRP), is hosting a webinar on the topic "Human Dignity Within The Maltese Healthcare System: An Unaffordable Luxury?".

The webinar will take place on
📆Wednesday, 10 December 2025
⏰from 12:00 to 14:00.

It will be held online via Zoom, and the link to join is:
universityofmalta.zoom.us/j/98072594354

The event will feature a panel of distinguished speakers, including:

➡️Prof. David Zammit, Head of the Department of Civil Law and Director of the UM Law Clinic

➡️Prof. Tonio Borg, Professor of Public Law and Constitutional Law Specialist

➡️Rev. Dr Carlo Calleja, Specialist in Moral Theology & Bioethics and Lecturer at the Faculty of Theology

➡️Dr Jurgen Abela, Visiting Senior Lecturer in the Department of Family Medicine and Specialist in Palliative Care

✅The webinar aims to explore the concept of human dignity within the Maltese healthcare system and whether it has become an unaffordable luxury for some. The diverse perspectives from the speakers will provide valuable insights into this important and timely topic.

To register for the webinar, please use the link:
forms.gle/BgUk5vpP5p7jfBtm7

As we move toward the end of November and closer to the end of the calendar year, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on significant events that have taken place this year.

The Faculty of Laws is a member of the Maltese branch of the Fédération Internationale pour le Droit Européen ("FIDE"). During Summer 2025, members of FIDE participated in a week-long academic event in Luxembourg relating to EU law, which was organised by the Communications Directorate of the Court of Justice of the European Union ("CJEU"). Malta was represented by Dr. Mario Mizzi, who highlighted the benefits of EU legal harmonisation in all fields, especially financial regulatory legislation, and the need for proportionality to be applied for smaller Member States.

The event spanned numerous EU institutions in Luxembourg, ranging from the CJEU itself to the European Stability Mechanism and also the European Investment Bank. The speakers included judges from the CJEU, the Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg, and other representatives of various EU institutions.

For more information on FIDE, please contact Dr. Jelena Agranovska at [email protected], who is the contact person for AMSDE, the Maltese branch of FIDE.