eFLINT: a domain-specific language for executable norm specifications

Abstract

Software systems that share potentially sensitive data are subjected to laws, regulations, policies and/or contracts. The monitoring, control and enforcement processes applied to these systems are currently to a large extent manual, which we rather automate by embedding the processes as dedicated and adaptable software services in order to improve efficiency and effectiveness. This approach requires such regulatory services to be closely aligned with a formal description of the relevant norms.This paper presents eflint, a domain-specific language developed for formalizing norms. The theoretical foundations of the language are found in transition systems and in Hohfeld's framework of legal fundamental conceptions. The language can be used to formalize norms from a large variety of sources. The resulting specifications are executable and support several forms of reasoning such as automatic case assessment, manual exploration and simulation. Moreover, the specifications can be used to develop regulatory services for several types of monitoring, control and enforcement. The language is evaluated through a case study formalizing articles 6(1)(a) and 16 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). A prototype implementation of eflint is discussed and is available online.

DPCL: a Language Template for Normative Specifications

“…Normative positions Hohfeld's framework of normative concepts includes 8 notions, distributed on 2 squares, concerning respectively deontic (or duty-related) and potestative (or power-related) directives. Similarly to eFLINT [20], these concepts corresponds in DPCL to object-types with certain fixed parameters (frames, or stereotypical knowledge constructs). Their instantiation, as that of any other object, can be conditioned by transformational or reactive rules.…”

“…Amongst the most recent efforts we acknowledge e.g. LegalRuleML [11,9], PROLEG [14], InstAL [10], ODRL [6,1], Symboleo [15], FLINT/eFLINT [21,20], and Logical English [7]. Legal core ontologies (e.g.…”

A principled approach to REPL interpreters

“…eFLINT is a DSL for developing executable normative specifications used to reason about compliance with regulations, contracts and/or policies [43]. eFLINT programs are used to simulate or verify normative decision making processes.…”

“…This case study show that it is feasible to obtain REPLs for languages that are not statement-or expressionoriented. The third case-study applies the methodology to obtain interactive services for eFLINT, a DSL for executable normative specifications [43]. The resulting services allow users and policy-aware software to navigate choices and decisions in the realm of law and regulation.…”

Digital Enforceable Contracts (DEC): Making Smart Contracts Smarter

“…More concretely, the models we used were written in eFLINT[6], a language for specifying policies based on normative frames. Note however that any other choices would have been equally good in functional terms 4.…”