Legal implications of Brexit

Modelled on the philosophy of ordo-liberalism, an offshoot of classical liberalism, the European Union strongly relies on the existence and stable operation of a common legal system that can regulate free market so as to help it achieve the economic, social and political outcomes expected by the Governments of the member States. After many decades of close economic and social relations regulated by a common legal framework, the British withdrawal from the Union threatens European stability. Many fear the Brexit process could open up a Pandora’s Box of serious problems for the European Union and cause a serious economic backlash in the UK. What impact will Brexit have on the rights of EU and UK citizens and third country nationals? How is it going to affect the legal regulation of present and future economic and social relations between the EU and the UK? How will this new regulation affect such relations in turn? These and similar questions are addressed in this compilation of some of the contributions submitted to the conference on "The Legal Implications of Brexit” organized on November 8th and 9th, 2017, in Hagen (Westphalia, Germany) by the Faculty of Law of the FernUniversität in Hagen in collaboration with its EDELNet partners and the Open University Law School of the United Kingdom.