Andrei Poama, Assistant Professor at Leiden University, published a piece in the journal of Political Philosophy about social injustice, disadvantaged offenders and the state's authority to punish.

The Prison Project investigates to what extent imprisonment has consequences for the relapse, health, career and intimate relations of the (ex-)prisoners.

This book provides a comparative analysis of the process of breach across ten different European jurisdictions by identifying and elaborating a number of key analytical themes through which the different systems can be compared and evaluated.

Extensive research is being conducted at the Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology on developments in sentencing and punitive measures and how judges and other actors in the criminal justice system reach decisions. Another focus area is how punishments and measures are implemented and the effect…

Lecture, 5th Owada Chair Symposium

In its broadcast of 28 April 2019, TV programme Medialogica (Human) looked at television programme Ontvoerd (Abducted). Leiden professors Mariëlle Bruning and Jannemieke Ouwerkerk contributed to the broadcast.

All children have rights, and so foster children also have rights. But when these rights are not observed, there are not many options available to foster children to assert their rights. PhD defence on 8 October 2020.

We are happy to give you 10 reasons why you should study the specialization International Criminal Law at Leiden University. Read more.

Why do certain incidents of serious violence end lethally whereas others do not? What role do personal characteristics of offenders and victims play and how do immediate situational factors influence outcomes?

Trust in public institutions in the Tata Steel case and beyond

On 9 November, Roosmarijn van Es defended the thesis 'The mind in the courtroom: on forensic mental health reports in judicial decision-making about guilt and sentencing in the Netherlands. The doctoral research was supervised by Jan de Keijser, Maarten Kunst and Janne van Doorn.

Research on lethal violence related to criminal activities.

The study at hand focuses on the control of sex and youngsters through the response by authorities most notably from within criminal justice.

Please contact us if you have any questions about the programme Public International Law and the specialisation International Criminal Law.

On 29 april 2020, Beth Van Schaack defended her thesis 'Imagining Justice for Syria: Water Always Finds Its Way'. The doctoral research was supervised by Prof. C. Stahn.

State utilization of 'hukum adat' and its implication for the Indonesian rule of law

On 29 September 2020, Tom van Ham defended his thesis 'Collective violence offenders and offending. The role of individual characteristics'. The doctoral research was supervised by Prof. A.A.J. Blokland, Prof. O.M.J. Adang (RUG) and Prof. Th.A.H. Doreleijers (VUMC).

This book brings together a collection of emergent research that moves the debate on desistance beyond a general consideration of individual and social structural influences.

Both departments provide teaching in the bachelor and master programmes.

To assess the impact of illicit firearms trafficking on gun violence, this research looks at the scope, characteristics and contexts of firearm violence, and also the scope and nature of firearms trafficking in Europe since the new millennium. Nils Duquet, Dennis Vanden Auweele and Marieke Liem created…

A research into homicide.

The faculty has around 650 employees, academic and administrative staff. More than 325 of these are involved in teaching. Together they make Leiden Law School what it is today: a faculty driven by its research and enriched by its teaching.

University lecturer Mojan Samadi has won not only a Meijers Prize, but also the Van Wersch Springplank Prize for her outstanding contribution to science. Samadi examined the concept of femicide in a criminal justice context and highlighted the importance of a feminist perspective in gender-based mur…

Prosecutor Karim Khan has asked the Pre-Trial Chamber at the International Criminal Court in The Hague to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Larissa van den Herik, Professor of Public International Law, discusses the case on Dutch radio programme ‘Nieuws en Co’.

Pauline Schuyt, Professor of Penal Law and Sentencing, spoke on Dutch current affairs programme ‘EenVandaag’ about the stark rise in combination punishments that include penal hospital orders (in Dutch: terbeschikkingstelling, TBS) and custodial sentences. Since 2019, the number of combination punishments…

The Centre for Public Values & Ethics (CPVE) is an interdisciplinary, academic centre of expertise aiming to conduct and disseminate scientific research on normative issues in the public sector, in particular the fulfillment of public office and the planning, making and executing of public policy, both…

On 11 December 2015, the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies organized a seminar on

On 25 October 2017, the current class of students of the advanced LL.M. programme International Children’s Rights visited juvenile detention center ‘De Hunnerberg’ in Nijmegen (the Netherlands).

This research evaluates the Youth Act. It will provide an overview of how the transition takes place, whether the transformation process develops in the right direction and whether the legal safeguards are functioning properly.

Study information

The Department of Economics concentrates its research on Social Policies, Public Finance and Law and Economics.

Stam defended his dissertation ‘Freedom of speech and the suppression of discrimination in the Netherlands: a constitutional-developmental approach’ on 12 November 2025. The doctoral research was supervised by Afshan Ellian and Bastiaan Rijpkema

The programme International Criminal Law at Leiden University prepares you for a succesful career. Read more about our career preparation activities

A prisoner from Eindhoven who posted vlogs about his life in prison is attracting thousands of viewers on TikTok and other social media. Esther van Ginneken commented on regional news site ‘Omroep Brabant’: 'Contact is a human necessity.'

Mensen jarenlang opsluiten in een gevangenis werkt niet en kost de samenleving veel geld, zeggen experts. Hoogleraar Criminologie en Vergelijkende Penologie Miranda Boone stelt tegenover NEMO Kennislink dat het anders moet: ‘Het strafrecht zoals we het nu inzetten, werkt niet.’

PhD defence

Professor Maartje van der Woude, Professor of Law & Society at the Van Vollenhoven Institute, has been appointed as one of the three new series editors for the Routledge Studies in Criminal Justice, Borders and Citizenship.

The Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology conducts extensive research on imprisonment. Sending a person to prison is the most severe form of punishment that can be applied in the criminal justice systems of European countries. In most countries, the number of prisoners has risen in recent decades.…

The university aims to expose all students to sustainability topics and issues that are relevant to their field during their time studying here. Students are educated to become academic professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills to contribute to the sustainability transition.

On 12 January 2022, Mirjam Franke defended the thesis 'Over de grens van de onrechtmatige daad'. The doctoral research was supervised by Prof. A.G. Castermans and Prof. J.H. Crijns.

In his lecture, Professor Platt discussed some of the main arguments from his latest book entitled “Beyond these Walls: Rethinking Crime and Punishment in the United States”