Terms and Conditions

1. General Information

• The Law ReMeP2024 “Law As Code” Hackathon (hereinafter “Hackathon”) aims to address digitalization problems in the judiciary and public administration, specifically within a legal context. Participants will develop innovative, open-source solutions that target inefficiencies or gaps where no current digital solutions exist. The Hackathon is open to legal professionals, technologists, public administrators, and researchers.
• The Hackathon is being organized by Agentur Montesole GmbH, Schreyvogelgasse 3, 1010 Wien (hereinafter “Organizer”).
• Languages for communication and participation are German and English.

2. Participation

• Natural persons who have reached the age of 18 at the time of registration are eligible to participate.
• Participants are responsible for ensuring that their participation in this Hackathon does not conflict with or violate any existing regulation or restrictions of their employer, research institution or similar.
• Participants must register as a team of at least two participants. Additional team members may be added within the call deadline (see section 3.a).

3. Objective and Problem Submission

1. Call for Submission of Topics and Teams:
   The competition will officially commence with a call for submission of topics and team registration issued by the Organizing Committee. This call invites participants to propose digitalization challenges from the judiciary or public administration that can be solved using digital technology.
2. Problem Identification and Submission:
• Interested Parties and also Participants may propose practical problems related to legal or administrative processes within the judiciary or public administration. These problems should not have any existing open-source solutions.
3. Approval of Topics:
• The Organizing Committee will review and approve all submitted topics. After consulting with the Programme Committee, the Organizer will publish the final approved topics, making them available for all teams to work on.
4. Topic Selection:
• Topics will be announced publicly. Once the topics are released, teams will have the opportunity to choose any approved topic and begin work. The same topic may be chosen by several teams.

4. Process of the Competition

1. Research and Consultation Period:
   Following the publication of the topics and teams, participants will have at least 10 weeks to conduct research, begin working on an executable prototype and consult with relevant stakeholders, including judiciary or public administration officials, to refine their solutions.
2. Hack Date:
   The date for the Hack will be set no earlier than 10 weeks after the publication of the topics and teams. On this date, participants must present their solutions publicly, including an executable prototype.
3. Prototype Requirement:
   Each team must produce an executable prototype that demonstrates the functionality of their solution. Prototypes can be created using traditional coding methods, no-code platforms, or AI tools that support automated coding. To the extent solutions are based on software libraries or other tools, such libraries or tools need to be available open source.
4. Documentation and Publication Material: Teams must submit documentation and publication materials on the Hack Date, including:
• The problem definition and the chosen solution
• A detailed report on the research conducted
• The design and coding approach
• The technology used and any code generated
• Input and feedback from mentors, in particular from the judiciary or public administration received during the research phase
• Open Licence Statement
• Commitment for Publication
5. Public Presentation and Feedback:
   Teams will present their solutions and engage in a public discussion with the jury and audience. They may refine their solutions based on feedback received at the Hack. The refined solution, documentation and publication materials can be submitted up to one week after the Hack Date.
6. Judging and Winner Announcement: At the end of the Hack the Jury will deliberate and announce the winning teams based on the judging criteria.

5. Committees and Jury

1. Organizing Committee and Programme Committee:
• The Organizing Committee will oversee the administration and logistics of the Hackathon. The Organizing Committee is appointed by the Organizer.
• The Programme Committee will provide strategic direction and review the proposed topics and teams. The Programme Committee is appointed by the Organizer.
2. Jury Selection:
• The Jury will be appointed by the Organizer based on recommendations from the Programme Committee, will consist of at least three members.
3. Exclusion of Committee Members:
• Members of the Organizing Committee and the Jury are excluded from participating as competitors in the Hackathon.

6. Technology and Tool Usage

• Freedom of Technology Choice: Participants can use traditional programming languages, no-code platforms, and AI-assisted coding tools. Solutions must use open-source tools and open data sources.
• Proprietary software is not allowed unless specifically approved, and solutions must be shareable under an open-source license.
• Participants are expected to use their own hardware.

7. Scientific Documentation and Publication

• Teams must submit a research paper documenting their project, which includes problem definition, methodology, results, and feedback from stakeholders. All code and data must be submitted to open-access repositories.

8. Intellectual Property and Licensing

• Open-Source Licensing: All submissions must be released under an approved open-source license.
• Ownership: Participants retain ownership of their intellectual property but must release their work under open-source terms.

9. Use of Data

• Open Data Sources: Teams must use publicly available legal data. Any proprietary data use must be pre-approved.

10. Judging Criteria

Solutions will be judged on:

• Relevance to the legal or administrative problem.
• Practical Impact for real-world implementation.
• Transparency and Accuracy of the solution.
• Scientific Rigor in the research and documentation.
• Effective Use of Open Tools and Data.

11. Prizes and Recognition

• The primary prize is recognition, and no monetary compensation is guaranteed. Teams may receive mentorship or opportunities for pilot testing.
• Sponsors may make available additional prices which will be communicated on the Hackathon website.

12. Disclaimers and Rights of Organizer

• No Right to Participate or Continue: Participation is a privilege, not a right. The Organizer may reject or expel participants at any time, without providing reasons or justification. The Organizer may cancel the entire Hackathon at any time, without providing reasons or justification.
• No Compensation: Participation is voluntary, and participants bear their own costs. There is no right to monetary compensation.
• Exclusion of Liability: Legal Liability of the Organizer Committee or Jury Members are excluded to the maximum extent legally possible and shall in any case be limited to direct damage.
• Right to Amend Terms: The Organizer reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at any time, and participants have no right to object to these changes.
• Right to Cancel or Terminate: The Organiser reserves the right to cancel or terminate the hackathon at any time, without any obligation to provide reasons or compensation to participants.
• Acceptance of Terms: By participating, applicants and participants fully accept these Terms and Conditions.

13. Privacy Policy for the “Law As Code” Hackathon

• The Organiser of the “Law As Code” Hackathon is committed to respecting and protecting the privacy of all participants. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard the personal data provided by participants and their teams in connection with the hackathon.
• Personal Information: The Organiser collects personal information, such as names, contact details, professional affiliations, and roles within teams, as part of the registration and participation process.
• Submitted Materials: The Organiser will collect and store all submitted materials, including problem proposals, solution descriptions, research papers, codes, documentation, and other project-related files.
• Public Disclosure: By registering and participating, Participants consent to the Organiser making their personal information, such as names, affiliations, and roles within the hackathon, publicly available in connection with the event. This includes the publication of team details, topic selections, and project summaries on public platforms related to the Hackathon.
• Public Invitation to Events: Participants acknowledge that the Organiser reserves the right to invite the public to hackathon-related events, which may include presentations, discussions, and award ceremonies.
• Recording and Publication of Events: Participants agree that the Organiser may stream, record, and publish video meetings, presentations, and public events associated with the hackathon. These recordings may be used for marketing, reporting, educational purposes, and sharing with external audiences.
• Disclosures to Jury Members and Mentors: Personal data and submitted materials may be shared with jury members, mentors, and members of the Organizing and Programme Committees to facilitate project evaluations, mentoring, and hackathon operations.
• Publications and Presentations: Submitted materials, including Participants details, problem statements, project descriptions, research papers, and outcomes, may be published, including but not limited to, in open-access repositories and relevant publications associated with the Hackathon.
• Access and Correction: Participants have the right to access and request corrections to their personal data by contacting the Organiser.
• Withdrawal of Consent: Participants have the right to withdraw consent for the processing of their personal data; however, this may impact their ability to continue participating in the hackathon.
• The Organiser reserves the right to amend this Privacy Policy at any time.
• By registering for and participating in the “Law As Code” Hackathon, participants confirm their acceptance of this Privacy Policy and consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of their personal data and submitted materials as outlined above.

14. Choice of Law

• These terms are governed by Austrian law, and any disputes will be subject to the jurisdiction of Vienna, Austria.

15. Publications, Dates and Timeline

• Dates and Timeline and other information will be published on the ReMeP2024 “Law As Code” Website (https://remep.net/law-as-code)