Institute of Criminology: Professor Andreas von Hirsch Memorial Event

This event is part of the Institute of Criminology's Public Guest Seminar Series for Michaelmas Term 2026. A drinks reception follows the talk. These events are free and everyone is welcome. Please register to attend either in-person or online by clicking the link at the bottom of this page.

In Memoriam Andreas von Hirsch (1934-2026)

The Institute of Criminology is indebted to Andreas von Hirsch in many and profound ways. We will mention just three. First, because he was a valued member of the Institute for many years; second because he was an extraordinarily generous benefactor; and third because he was a towering intellectual figure in his own right. He was a pioneering force in taking seriously the connections between criminology and related fields – and both criminology and those other fields are much enriched by the interdisciplinary relationships his work contributed so decisively to emphasise. His work at the helm of the Committee for the Study of Incarceration (1976) continues to reward rereading – so much so that another workshop devoted to Doing Justice (the final “Report” of that Committee) is planned for 3-4 December (and had been planned before news of his passing reached its organizers). “Justice matters”, von Hirsch emphasised throughout his career: and it is a matter of justice – but also of immense gratitude – that we honour him with this memorial.

Speakers

Professor Andrew Ashworth, QC

Emeritus Vinerian Professor of English Law and Emeritus Fellow of All Souls College in Oxford University. He has been appointed a Q.C. honoris causa, and has been awarded the degree of LL.D. honoris causa at De Montfort University, the degree of Jur. D. honoris causa at Uppsala University, and the degree of LL.D. honoris causa by the London School of Economics. He is the author of countless influential publications – just to mention one of them: his Principles of Criminal Law is on its tenth edition.

Professor Sir Anthony Bottoms

Emeritus Wolfson Professor of Criminology, Life Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, and former Director of the Centre for Penal Theory and Ethics in the Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge. Appointed Knight Bachelor, 2001, for services to the criminal justice system. He is Fellow of the British Academy since 1997; Honorary Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and recipient of honorary degrees from Sheffield University (LL.D.), Queen’s University, Belfast (LL.D.), and Malmö University (PhD.). Amongst his latest publications, published under the auspices of the Centre for Penal Theory and Ethics, we highlight Criminology as a Moral Science.

Professor Antje du Bois-Pedain

Professor of Criminal Law and Philosophy at the University of Cambridge, Deputy Director of the Centre for Penal Theory and Ethics at the Institute of Criminology, and a Fellow of Magdalene College. She also runs the Criminal Jurisprudence and Philosophy group for staff and research students across Law and Criminology who work on ethical or theoretical aspects of criminal law and criminal justice. A prolific scholar, her work centres around the philosophical foundations of state punishment and their significance for the application and reform of criminal law. 

Professor Andrew Simester

Professor Andrew Simester is currently Amaladass Professor of Criminal Justice and Dean of the Law School at the National University of Singapore. His main interests lie in the fields of legal philosophy, criminal law, and restitution. He has published in these areas in every major common law jurisdiction and his writings in criminal law and theory have been cited by senior appellate courts throughout the world. He sits on various editorial boards, including the Oxford Journal of Legal Studies and Criminal Law and Philosophy. His latest book, Fundamentals of Criminal Law, has been the subject of multiple international journal symposia.

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