Research project
Criminal legislation - criteria for criminalisation
One of the recurring points of discussion within the Criminal Justice research programme is the question of which behaviours should and should not fall within the scope of criminal law. This question is examined from a legal-dogmatic and social-scientific perspective.
- Contact
- Jeroen ten Voorde
From the start of the research programme, the interest of the Criminal Justice research group in the theme of the legitimacy of criminal legislation was aroused. Since 2009, many publications have been produced within this subproject. The first publications included the report Towards an integral evaluation of anti-terrorism measures (2009) which was co-authored with Professor Tineke Cleiren, and the dissertation defended by Maartje van der Woude, Legislation in a Safety Culture, Establishment of anti-terrorism legislation from a social and (legal) political context about legislation in a security culture.
In 2011, the research group organised a conference entitled Criteria for criminalisation in a new dynamic. Throughout this inspiring conference, lawyers and social scientists examined the interaction between the traditional criteria that determined criminal law (or seemed to determine it) and the current environment in which criminal law has to operate. The resulting publication, Criteria for Criminalization, Symbolic Legitimacy versus Social Reality (2012), contains contributions from researchers in the research group and reflects the interdisciplinary nature of this field of research.
As a follow-up to these achievements, research in the area of substantive criminal law legislation and criteria for criminalisation was continued and intensified. Various researchers now conduct PhD research within this project. One internal PhD student worked on the effect of the European principle of legality on national offences and case law (Altena, 2016 dissertation). A more recently appointed PhD candidate, Jelle Cnossen, is examining the complex relationship between criminalisation in general and specific criminal law and their effects. Three external PhD students (Esser, Ten Klooster and Bakker) are studying the structure of criminal law from the perspective of the criteria for criminalisation and legal interests contained therein. A fourth external PhD candidate (Tamara Buruma) is conducting research on the criminalisation of sedition and the legal interest of public order.
The research project is expanding rapidly. In mid-2015, a new PhD position was acquired in the field of criteria for criminalisation, in particular the concept of damages, partly from an interdisciplinary perspective (neuro law, Zef Faassen). Emeritus professor Tineke Cleiren and Jeroen ten Voorde and four PhD students (partly internal, partly external) will focus on substantive criminal law and criteria and legal interests to be involved in the coming years
Professor Cleiren's research was recently boosted with a grant from LUF. The research aims to answer the question of whether the guarantees of legitimacy and accountability, which were embedded in and provided by the underlying philosophy, structure, consistency and coherence, can still be sufficiently realised with the current Criminal Code. Jannemieke Ouwerkerk, appointed Professor of European Criminal Law on 1 August 2016, will continue to conduct research that focuses on criteria for criminalisation in European law.
Current research projects
J.W. Ouwerkerk – Symbol or substance? Towards a systematic application of criminalisation criteria in EU Law (veni): The European Union can require Member States to criminalise certain behaviours in national legislation. This project examines on what grounds (i.e. the criteria for criminalisation) the European Union can do so. In addition, an instrument will be developed to facilitate and realise a systematic application of these criteria.
M.A.H. van der Woude, J.M. ten Voorde, P. Boekhoorn & A. Jonker – Evaluatie Nederlandse contraterrorismewetgeving 2001-2021 (WODC).
T.M.B. Buruma – Opruiing (art. 131 Sr.) in een veranderde samenleving
J.P. Cnossen - De invloed van bijzonder strafrecht op fundamentele uitgangspunten van het strafrecht (PhD research)
L.B. Esser - Strafbaarstelling van mensenhandel in de context van internationalisering en europeanisering (PhD research)
J.N. Faassen - Strafbaarstelling, Moraliteit en de Neurowetenschappen: een nieuw perspectief op schade (PhD research)
S.J. Lopik - Strafrecht en klimaatverandering (PhD research)
N.G.H. Verschaeren – Diversiteit in handhavingsstelsels (PhD research)
Key publications
J.W. Ouwerkerk e.a. (red.), The Future of EU Criminal Justice Policy and Practice. Legal and Criminological Perspectives, Leiden: Brill/Nijhoff 2019.
J.M. ten Voorde, Prohibiting Remote Harms. On Endangerment, Citizenship and Control, Utrecht Law Review 2014 10(1): 163-179.
C.P.M. Cleiren, M.J.J. Kunst, J.P. van der Leun, G.K. Schoep & J.M. ten Voorde (red.) Criteria voor strafbaarstelling in een nieuwe dynamiek. Symbolische legitimiteit versus maatschappelijke en sociaalwetenschappelijke realiteit. Den Haag: Boom 2012.
M.A.H. van der Woude, Wetgeving in een Veiligheidscultuur. Totstandkoming van antiterrorismewetgeving bezien van maatschappelijke en (rechts)politieke context (diss), Den Haag: Boom Juridische uitgevers 2010.
Contact
Do you want to know more about the research that is being carried out within the Criminalization theme of the CJ research program? Then please contact Jeroen ten Voorde.