Blame for Ignorance? – Perspectives on Willful Blindness and Mistakes of Fact

Can a person be blamed for turning a blind eye to the circumstances of his or her conduct? There is no clear answer to this question and yet it determines acquittal or conviction in cases involving crimes such as terrorism, rape, drug trafficking, and money laundering. Even a conviction for crimes against humanity may be secured by blaming someone for ignorance; the same rationale applies to responsibility within corporations or military groups. From 5–7 September 2024, we would like to discuss this question and the perspectives on willful blindness and culpable mistakes of fact in a workshop jointly organized by the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law, Freiburg and the University of Göttingen. Cutting through the fields of philosophy, criminal theory, and criminal procedure, the workshop will address the theoretical, doctrinal, and practical issues of (culpable) mistakes of fact. By bringing together scholars from different civil law and common law jurisdictions, the workshop will provide a platform for a lively international and interdisciplinary debate on these issues.