The Laws of Robots: Crimes, Contracts, and Torts (Law, Governance and Technology Series Book 10)

This book explores how the design, construction, and use of robotics technology may affect today’s legal systems and, more particularly, matters of responsibility and agency in criminal law, contractual obligations, and torts. By distinguishing between the behaviour of robots as tools of human interaction, and robots as proper agents in the legal arena, jurists will have to address a new generation of “hard cases.” General disagreement may concern immunity in criminal law (__e.g.__, the employment of robot soldiers in battle), personal accountability for certain robots in contracts (__e.g.__, robo-traders), much as clauses of strict liability and negligence-based responsibility in extra-contractual obligations (__e.g.__, service robots in tort law). Since robots are here to stay, the aim of the law should be to wisely govern our mutual relationships. This book explores how the design, construction, and use of robotics technology may affect today' s legal systems and, more particularly, matters of responsibility and agency in criminal law, contractual obligations, and torts. By distinguishing between the behaviour of robots as tools of human interaction, and robots as proper agents in the legal arena, jurists will have to address a new generation of "h ard cases." General disagreement may concern immunity in criminal law (e.g., the employment of robot soldiers in battle), personal accountability for certain robots in contracts (e.g., robo-traders), much as clauses of strict liability and negligence-based responsibility in extra-contractual obligations (e.g., service robots in tort law). Since robots are here to stay, the aim of the law should be to wisely govern our mutual relationships This book explores ways that robot technology may affect legal systems in matters of responsibility and agency in criminal law, contractual obligations and torts. Discusses robot soldiers in battle, robo-trading of securities and service robots in torts law. Table of Contants List of Figures List of Tables Preface Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1 - On Law, Philosophy and Technology Chapter 2 - Crimes Chapter 3 - Contracts Chapter 4 - Torts Chapter 5 - Law as Meta-Technology Conclusions References. Front Matter....Pages i-xxv Introduction....Pages 1-17 On Law, Philosophy and Technology....Pages 19-44 Crimes....Pages 45-78 Contracts....Pages 79-113 Torts....Pages 115-145 Law as Meta-technology....Pages 147-181 Back Matter....Pages 183-200