The research center

The Amsterdam Center for Criminal Justice (ACCJ) is a research platform of the Department of Criminal Law at the Amsterdam Law School, University of Amsterdam.

The Center brings together researchers working on the doctrinal, comparative and interdisciplinary study of criminal law, criminal justice and criminal policy across domestic, transnational and international contexts. Through their research and teaching, ACCJ members examine the conceptual and practical challenges facing criminal law and justice in a rapidly changing global environment. 

Established in 2021, the ACCJ aims to foster cutting-edge research, research-based teaching and public engagement in the field of criminal law and justice. 

Background

The ACCJ is embedded within the Department of Criminal Law of the Amsterdam Law School, which has a long tradition of academic excellence in international, transnational and comparative criminal law and procedure.

Over the past decades, the department has developed a strong national and international reputation for both theoretical and practice-oriented research on contemporary issues in Dutch, transnational and international criminal justice.

The establishment of the ACCJ consolidates this expertise within a dedicated research platform. At the same time, it provides a framework for renewing and expanding the research agenda of the Department in response to emerging legal and societal challenges.

Mission

The ACCJ seeks to stimulate innovative, critical and solution-oriented research on criminal law, criminal justice and criminal policy in a global context.

Through their work, ACCJ members contribute to academic scholarship as well as to public debate on the contemporary challenges facing criminal law and justice across international, transnational and domestic settings.

Structure

The ACCJ brings together all researchers of the Department of Criminal Law at the Amsterdam Law School, as well as external PhD researchers affiliated with the Department. 

The main governing body of the Center is the plenary meeting, consisting of the Department’s staff members. The day-to-day activities of the ACCJ are coordinated by the Executive Board.

Executive Board