Academic Paper “Smart contracts vis-à-vis procedural law”

A paper co-authored by UNIC PLU Director Dr. Nicolas Kyriakides and Ms Ioanna Dimitra Theodosopoulou

The UNIC Procedural Law Unit Director, Dr. Nicolas Kyriakides, along with Ms Ioanna Dimitra Theodosopoulou, co-authored an academic paper on “Smart contracts vis-à-vis procedural law”. Ms Theodosopoulou had the honor of presenting the findings of their research at the international conference “Smart contracts, blockchain, cryptocurrencies and digital dispute resolution: Legal innovation in AI-driven business paradigm”, held in Sorrento, Italy, on 8–9 September 2025.

Their work examined the jurisdictional challenges, recognition, and enforceability of smart contracts, with a particular focus on the EU legislative framework. Their research identified gaps and inefficiencies in the current legal approach to the unique characteristics of smart contracts and proposed policy amendments to enhance their integration within procedural law and ensure greater legal certainty across Member States.

The conference, convened by a distinguished academic committee including Professors Marco Giacalone, Giuseppe Corasaniti, Anne Christine Fornage, and Flora Amato, brought together leading scholars and practitioners to debate pressing issues such as:

▪️ Decentralized finance and legal accountability
▪️ Blockchain as a tool for public governance
▪️ Compliance architectures in the digital age

Conferences like this emphasise the continuing need to bridge theory and practice when addressing complex legal innovations. This was an excellent opportunity to engage in a high-level comparative discussion at the intersection of law, governance, finance, and dispute resolution in an increasingly digitalized landscape.