Law and Society
Law and society are interdependent and understanding law requires an understanding of society. I attain this understanding from social theory, in particcular the theory of reflexive modernisation and the risk society (inspired by authors such as Ulrich Beck and Zygmunt Bauman). My understanding of law is informed by legal theory (in the broad sense), relying on authors such as John Rawls, H.L.A. Hart, Giorgio Agamben, Thoamsas Pogge, Lon Fuller an d many others). Structural societal changes require a continued reflection upon law and its values and principles, investigating the extent to which these must be reconsidered or revalued in order for law and justice to function in a global interdependent world.
I focus on contemporary notions of modernity and related concepts such as complexity and uncertainty, risk, precaution and sustainability, liability and responsibility, and their bearing on legal theory and law, My research helps formulating the theoretical foundations for research carried out in the Utrecht Centre for Liability and Accountability Law (Ucall).
This starting point is also a reference for my activities as a lecturer and my ideas about academic legal education, curriculum and course contents, and didactics, about which I publish extensively in national and international fora. I pay specific attention to how we can strengthen the academic nature of legal education. I develop, coordinate and teach a variety of courses in the bachelor programme and supervise thesis at BA and MA level. I am also law fewllow at Utrecht Law College, responsible for the law track and the double degree programma. My ideas about research and teaching I share in other forums, for example as member of the editing board of the journal Law & Method, as (former) board member of the Netherlands Association for Philosophy of Law (VWR) and as former Fellow of the Centre for the Humanities (Faculty of the Humanities, Utrecht University). Also in my role as Senior Fellow at the Centre of Academic Teaching I promoted from 2020-2023 the importance of good academic education.
From January 2019 I hold the function of Director of Education BA law.
From September 2023 I am Professor Interdisciplinary legal education.
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