PhD Compensation as Punishment – Project 2: An Empirical-Legal Inquiry

Do you have expertise in empirical research in the field of law and criminology? Would you like to research how victims and convicted offenders experience the compensation order? Please apply at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU).

Location: AMSTERDAM
FTE: 1

This PhD position is part of the NWO-funded project “Compensation as Punishment”. In this multidisciplinary research project, we zoom in on the compensation order that can be imposed in criminal proceedings in the Netherlands. Should we consider it a reparative measure or a punitive sanction? What, exactly, is the nature of the compensation order and how is it connected to other parts of the sentence? How does it relate to the underlying values and aims of criminal law and punishment, including the prospects of social integration of convicted offenders? We have divided the project in two parts: a legal-theoretical part (PhD project 1) and an empirical-legal part (PhD project 2).

Your focus is on the empirical-legal part of the project, a collaboration between the Faculty of Law and the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR). In the dissertation, you analyse existing perceptions with regard to the compensation order. You query the purpose of the compensation order empirically in three distinct sub-projects regarding victims, convicted offenders and the general public. Each of these subprojects contributes to the same overarching research question: to what extent is the compensation order experienced as punitive? You work together with the other PhD candidate on the project, and you profit from each other’s results. You also collaborate with the other members of the project team, and with the societal and scientific advisory boards.  

Your duties

• write a dissertation on the perceptions of the compensation order in the Netherlands among victims, convicted offenders and the general public
• contribute to the joint effort of the project: collaborate with the project team, PhD of project 1, and the societal and scientific advisory boards
• contribute to the organization of the annual meetings with the societal and scientific advisory boards
• take methods and scientific integrity trainings and other courses in the faculty’s Graduate School

• master degree criminology, sociology, victimology or another relevant discipline
• proven experience with criminological/ empirical-legal research and its methodologies
• proven knowledge/ expertise in criminal law and legal theory
• fluency in Dutch and English
• ability to work in a multidisciplinary team

A challenging position in a socially involved organization. The salary will be in accordance with university regulations for academic personnel and amounts €2,541 (PhD) per month during the first year and increases to €3,247 (PhD) per month during the fourth year, based on a full-time employment. The job profile: is based on the university job ranking system and is vacant for at least 0.8 FTE.

The appointment will initially be for 1 year. After a satisfactory evaluation of the initial appointment, the contract will be extended for a duration of 4 years.
Additionally, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:

• a maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge
• contribution to commuting expenses

The ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. We strive to be a university where personal development and commitment to society play a leading role. A university where people from different disciplines and backgrounds collaborate to achieve innovations and to generate new knowledge. Our teaching and research encompass the entire spectrum of academic endeavor – from the humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 30,000 students. We employ over 5,500 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible and located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.

Diversity
We are an inclusive university community. Diversity is one of our most important values. We believe that engaging in international activities and welcoming students and staff from a wide variety of backgrounds enhances the quality of our education and research. We are always looking for people who can enrich our world with their own unique perspectives and experiences.

Faculty of Law
The Faculty of Law provides bachelor’s degree programmes in three main fields: Law, Notarial law and Criminology. In addition, we offer an extensive range of Master’s programmes as well as contract education. Our teaching and research focus on the social function and relevance of law: from contracts in the platform economy to the new way of working, from colonial injustice to medical liability, from family reunification to civil participation, from sex offenses to ransomware. Our research is often both international and multidisciplinary in character.

Working at the Faculty of Law means being engaged in an active and inspiring academic setting. Together with your colleagues, you will contribute to the quality of teaching and research in a challenging and rewarding working environment. More than 300 people work at the Faculty of Law, which is home to some 4,500 students.

Are you interested in this position? Please apply via the application button and upload:

●             your curriculum vitae

●             cover letter explaining why you would like to do this PhD

●             transcripts of grades

until

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Applications received by e-mail will not be processed.

Vacancy questions
If you have any questions regarding this vacancy, you may contact:

Name: prof. dr. Wouter Veraart (project leader)
Position: head of Department Legal Theory and Legal History
E-mail: [email protected]

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