From June 1st, mr.dr. Ferdinand Grapperhaus will be appointed professor (0.2 fte) at Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR). He will hold the chair of 'Rule of Law, Society and Legal Practice'. His teaching and research will focus on the interaction between the rule of law and society.
Grapperhaus was Minister of Justice and Security from 2017 to 2022. Prior to this, he was a lawyer and associate professor of European Labour Law at Maastricht University.
Toga aan de Maas
As chair, Grapperhaus will contribute to both undergraduate and graduate education in the Law programme, in particular the master's programme 'Toga aan de Maas'. This master focuses, among other things, on the role of toga holders in a democratic constitutional state and the socio-economic context. In addition to lectures and interactive working groups, students in the programme will work on real life cases and papers.
Positive social impact
EUR's Executive Board ("CvB") is pleased with the appointment. Prof Annelien Bredenoord, rector magnificus EUR: "The fact that the rule of law, and therefore society, is under pressure and how this is or should be dealt with in practice is an eminently socially relevant question. This chair fits perfectly with our ambition to make a positive social impact and find answers to the complex issues of our time. Providing impact education is part of this. Thinking and talking together about a good interaction between rule of law, society and business contributes to the implementation of a well-functioning rule of law."
"The fact that the rule of law, and therefore society, is under pressure is an eminently socially relevant question."
Prof. Annelien Bredenoord
Rector magnificus Erasmus University Rotterdam
Research: law in society
The research of the chair focuses on the Dutch rule of law. This involves looking at where the rule of law may be impeded and how to reduce the chances of this happening in the future. For example, this may happen when journalism cannot exercise its monitoring function. The rule of law may also fail when toga carriers are threatened in the performance of their functions, or when there is insufficient investment in the judiciary. Important here are the dynamics between policy-making and policy implementation (as in the allowances affair), the way in which toga carriers can give policy guidance through court rulings that are of great social importance, and the role that business plays in major social issues (e.g. on sustainability).
Prof Harriët Schelhaas, Dean Erasmus School of Law: "Academic research at Erasmus School of Law cannot be separated from the social context that follows law. Academic research is not an aim in itself and is not conducted in isolation but is embedded in that social context. Erasmus School of Law's faculty motto "Where law meets business" sums up this interaction between law, business and society. The Chair in the Rule of Law, Society and Legal Practice will make a very valuable contribution to this."
The Chair in the Rule of Law, Society and Legal Practice is fully funded and facilitated by the EUR. Both the appointment and interpretation of the chair are independent of, and separate from, Grapperhaus' appointment at Deloitte Legal and his other (ancillary) activities.
Ferdinand Grapperhaus
Ferdinand Grapperhaus studied Law at the University of Amsterdam and obtained his PhD from the University of Amsterdam in 1995 with the thesis 'Employee competition: restrictions on competitive activities of the ex-employee towards its former employer'. In 1984, Grapperhaus became a lawyer. He worked as a partner at Loeff Claeys Verbeke and Allen & Overy. From 2006 to 2016, he was a crown member of the Social and Economic Council (SER). He was also a supervisor at Kadaster Nederland, a director of several charities and a columnist for the newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad.
Grapperhaus was professor of European labour law at Maastricht University from 2005 to 2017 and served as Minister of Justice and Security from 2017 to 2022. He is the author of numerous publications, including the book 'Rafels aan de Rechtsstaat'. In this book, he describes the problem of an ever-widening gap between groups that fit, and those that do not, into the dynamics of modern society.
- More information
More information about Erasmus School of Law, visit the website.
For more information on this announcement: Lydia Datema, press officer EUR: +31 6 40 26 43 67 or press@eur.nl.
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