Open Access Expertise in Security and Criminal Law

Open Access Expertise in Security and Criminal Law

September 10, 2024


Open Access Expertise in Security and Criminal Law

Cooperation between the Verfassungsblog and the Max Planck Institute in a new thematic cluster

What Role Can Private Citizens Play in Preventing or Disrupting Crime?

What Role Can Private Citizens Play in Preventing or Disrupting Crime?

August 27, 2024

Daniel S. Nagin Provides Insights

Daniel Nagin’s collaboration with his colleagues Christoph Engel and Jean-Louis van Gelder has been instrumental in advancing crime research. Together, they form a Max Planck Law Fellow Group.

Shoplifting on the Rise

Shoplifting on the Rise

July 18, 2024

Criminologist Dietrich Oberwittler in the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung

The retail sector has seen an increase in shoplifting over the past year. In an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), Max Planck criminologist Dietrich Oberwittler discusses possible causes and puts the figures into chronological context.

Conceptions of Data Protection and Privacy

Conceptions of Data Protection and Privacy

July 15, 2024

Conference at the Max Planck Institute

On July 11 and 12, a conference on the Concep­tions of Data Protection and Privacy took place in Freiburg.

From Partners in Crime (Research) to the Lecture Hall

From Partners in Crime (Research) to the Lecture Hall

July 01, 2024

Shaina Herman and Tim Barnum Heading for New Shores

After successfully completing the postdoc phase of their academic careers in Germany, criminol­o­gists Shaina Herman and Tim Barnum are leaving the Max Planck Institute this summer. The next stage in their careers takes them to Sam Houston State University in Texas, where they are joining the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology as assistant professors in the fall.

Research Ethics in the Max Planck Society

Research Ethics in the Max Planck Society

June 11, 2024

Tatjana Hörnle Takes Over as Chair of the Ethics Council

Tatjana Hörnle is the new chair of the Max Planck Society’s Ethics Council. The legal scholar became a member of the council a year ago. She will now take over as chair in July 2024. Hörnle succeeds Rüdiger Wolfrum, who served the council for many years.

Independent Research Groups

Behavioral Economics of Crime and Conflict
Max Planck Research Group
Personality, Identity, and Crime
Max Planck Research Group
Space, Contexts, and Crime
Max Planck Research Group
Criminal Law Theory
Max Planck Research Group

Call for Papers

eucrim – Online Journal
European Law Forum: Prevention • Investigation • Prosecution (eucrim 2024/2025)
Website   Call for Papers (pdf file)

Events

Is the UK's 'good character' requirement racist, and what can be done about it? (external event)

Sep 12, 2024 06:00 PM - 09:00 PM (London UTC+01:00)
The Abbey Centre, London/UK

The Unreliable Human Mind: False Memories and Biased Judgments in the Context of Legal Decision Making

Sep 24, 2024 05:30 PM - 07:30 PM (Local Time Germany)
Freiburg/Germany, Fürstenbergstr. 19, Room: Seminar room (F 113) | Guests are welcome; please register

First Freiburg PhD-Workshop on the Economics of Criminal Behavior

Sep 30, 2024 - Oct 2, 2024
Freiburg/Germany, Fürstenbergstr. 19, Room: Seminar room (F 113)

Meet the Researchers


The Directors

The Directors

Tatjana Hörnle, Jean-Louis van Gelder, and Ralf Poscher – the Institute’s direc­tors – introduce their research depart­ments and explain why the Max Planck Institute is one of the top addresses for international researchers in the fields of criminal law, public law, and criminology.
Dominik Gerstner, Postdoc, De­part­ment of Criminology

Dominik Gerstner, Postdoc, De­part­ment of Criminology

“How can virtual reality experiments help us to better understand the behavior of burglars?”
Sofiya Kartalova, Postdoc, De­part­ment of Public Law

Sofiya Kartalova, Postdoc, De­part­ment of Public Law

“What is the mysterious adhesive that helps the Member States of the European Union stick together?”
Ivó Coca-Vila, Senior Researcher, De­part­ment of Criminal Law

Ivó Coca-Vila, Senior Researcher, De­part­ment of Criminal Law

“What types of behavior should be criminalized in western democratic states?”
Clara Rigoni, Senior Researcher, De­part­ment of Criminal Law

Clara Rigoni, Senior Researcher, De­part­ment of Criminal Law

“We probably all agree that plu­ral­ity is a major char­ac­ter­istic of today´s socie­ties. But what role does plurality play in crim­i­nal law? And, in particular, how can we guarantee effective crime control in socie­ties that are so diverse?”
Sebastian Kübel, Doctoral Researcher, Department of Criminology

Sebastian Kübel, Doctoral Researcher, Department of Criminology

“How do you view your fu­ture? Although I hope you have optimistic expectations, I am con­vinced that one’s view of the future depends very much on past expe­ri­ence. In my research, I consider how future prospects might sud­denly change after being violently victimized.”
Federica Cop­pola, Senior Researcher, De­part­ment of Criminal Law

Federica Cop­pola, Senior Researcher, De­part­ment of Criminal Law

“One of the most pressing issues in cur­rent de­bates on criminal justice con­cerns the short­com­ings of imprison­ment. Prison environ­ments can have traumatizing effects on con­fined people. Long prison sentences have no positive impact on relapses on criminal be­hav­ior.”
James M. An­go­ve, Senior Re­searcher, Department of Public Law

James M. An­go­ve, Senior Re­searcher, Department of Public Law

“When political violence happens, it is tempting to point a finger at those who committed the violence or those who en­couraged them. But, on inspection, modern political violence doesn’t always meet these expectations.”

Publication Highlights


Coca-Vila, I. (2023). On the Necessity Defense in a Democratic Welfare State: Leaving Pandora’s Box Ajar. Criminal Law and Philosophy. doi:10.1007/s11572-023-09667-7
Cordes, M. (2024). The playing field of empirical facts: on the interrelations between moral and empirical beliefs in reflective equilibrium. Synthese, 203, 122. doi:10.1007/s11229-024-04553-8
Zisman, V. (2023). Criminal law without punishment: How our society might benefit from abolishing punitive sanctions (Bd. 25) Practical Philosophy. Berlin; Boston: De Gruyter. doi:10.1515/9783111027821
Hörnle, T. (2024). Die Grenzen für politische Proteste. Jahrbuch Recht und Ethik, 31(1), 15-39.
Hörnle, T. (2024). The Challenges of Designing Sexual Assault Law. Current Legal Problems, cuae002. doi:10.1093/clp/cuae002.
McClanahan, W. P., Sergiou, C. S., Siezenga, A., Gerstner, D., Elffers, H., van der Schalk, J., & van Gelder, J.-L. (2024). Neighborhood crime reduction interventions and perceived livability: A virtual reality study on fear of crime. Cities, 147, 104823. doi:10.1016/j.cities.2024.104823.
Herman, S., Barnum, T., Minà, P. E., Wozniak, P., & Van Gelder, J.-L. (2024). Affect, emotions, and crime decision-making: emerging insights from immersive 360° video experiments. Journal of Experimental Criminology. doi:10.1007/s11292-024-09615-y.
Why is violence high and persistent indeprived communities? A formal model
Gefahr und allgemeines Lebensrisiko
Trait-specificity versus global positivity: A critical test of alternative sources of assumed similarity in personality judgments.
Handbuch des Verfassungsrechts : Darstellung in transnationaler Perspektive
Journal of Research in Crime and DelinquencyVolume 60 Issue 4, July 2023Special Issue: Crime, Choice, and ContextGuest Editor: Jean-Louis van GelderGuest Editor: Daniel S. Nagin
Plädoyer für die Legalisierung der Leihmutterschaft. Interdisziplinäre Analyse der Problemfelder und Regulierungsvorschlag am Vorbild der Lebendorganspende (Doktorarbeit)
Why It Is Not Unreasonable to Fear Terrorism
Die Schuld des Menschen
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