It is my pleasure to introduce to you this first issue of the Erasmus Law Review (ELR), a peer-reviewed journal that seeks to foster independent critical scholarship relevant to the discipline of law. This first issue considers the theme of the evolving European ordre public. Subsequent issues will consider the following themes: ‘Multi- and interdisciplinarity: mere theory or just practice’, ‘Class, collective and group actions’, ‘Staying out of court’ and ‘The rule of law in the European Union’. ELR will be published electronically on a quarterly basis and is also available through the Social Science Research Network (SSRN). We of course hope that we may count you among our readership not only on this occasion but also in the future. We appreciate comments on the articles and on the journal as a whole.