Patrick van der Meij appointed Professor of Criminal Law Practice
Patrick van der Meij has been appointed Professor of Criminal Law Practice at the Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology from 1 January 2024. This is an Endowed Chair established by the Professor A. E. J. Modderman Foundation, which is affiliated with Leiden University in order to boost research in the field of criminal law.
Patrick van der Meij is a criminal defence lawyer and partner at law firm Cleerdin & Hamer. He studied Law (specialising in Criminal Law and Procedure) at Leiden University and was awarded a PhD in 2010 at the same university for his thesis entitled ‘De driehoeksverhouding in het strafrechtelijk vooronderzoek: een onverminderde zoektocht naar evenwicht in de rolverdeling tussen de rechter-commissaris, de officier van justitie en de verdediging’ (meaning: 'The triangular relationship in criminal preliminary investigations: the relentless search for balance in the division of roles between the examining magistrate, prosecutor and defence').
Following his move to the legal profession in 2010, Van der Meij remained associated with Leiden University as a research fellow and guest lecturer. He regularly gives lectures and presentations to master’s students studying criminal law and procedure. Van der Meij is also a much sought-after speaker at symposia and expert meetings on topical issues in criminal justice. He also teaches courses for all professional groups in the field of Criminal Law, including the Dutch training certificate for the legal profession.
Van der Meij has published work on a variety of topics related to Criminal Law. Much of his work reflects on the practical implementation of Criminal Law or the position and responsibilities of actors (such as lawyers and judges) based on the fundamental principles and objectives of Criminal Law. Through his appointment to the Chair of Criminal Law Practice, Van der Meij will continue this ‘cross-fertilisation’ between practice and scholarship. The courses he will teach include Practicum: Criminal Law Enforcement and Procedure, which is part of the Criminal Law and Procedure master’s specialism.