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Further information, detailed video tutorials and access to the Rulemap Builder are available at rulemapping.org
Law as Code: the foundation of digital legislation.
“Law as Code” represents a paradigm shift in legislation: laws are no longer drafted solely as text but also structured in a form that can be processed by machines. This creates a shared language between law and technology — the basis for automated, transparent, and consistent decision-making.
Rulemapping is the practical implementation of this vision, turning legal logic into structured, executable models that both humans and machines can interpret.
From legal text to executable model
Traditionally, laws are written first and only then digitized — a process that causes friction, delays, and errors. Law as Code reverses this logic: laws are modeled directly in structured, machine-readable form, making them immediately usable in digital systems. This means the law itself becomes part of the infrastructure of governance — readable, applicable, and verifiable in real time.
Rulemapping makes this vision tangible. The method translates laws into visual decision trees that capture every condition, exception, and dependency within a legal framework. The result: legal logic becomes transparent, traceable, and ready for execution — the essential step toward automated, rule-based administration.
Bridging the gap between humans and machines
Unlike conventional digitization projects, Law as Code does not create isolated software tools. It establishes a unified reasoning infrastructure, enabling laws to be interpreted by both humans and machines. This approach bridges the divide between legislation, administration, and technology — ensuring that legal meaning and digital execution align perfectly.
Rulemapping provides the method behind this bridge. It empowers legal professionals to design and validate legal logic visually, without programming, while maintaining full legal rigor. Every Rulemap represents a shared, interpretable model — a new common ground for jurists, policymakers, and technologists alike.
From method to standard
Under Germany’s Modernization Agenda, Law as Code has been formally adopted as a key reform pillar to make the state more efficient and accountable. The Rulemapping Method — validated by the Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation (SPRIND) — forms the methodological backbone of this initiative. By 2028, the federal government aims to establish Law as Code as a binding standard for legislation, supported by open-source tools, shared legal libraries, and interoperable data formats. Rulemapping is at the core of this transformation — enabling laws that are human-readable, machine-processable, and immediately actionable.
In short: Law as Code is the idea. Rulemapping is its implementation. Together, they form the foundation of a new, digital rule of law.
