Professor Katalin Ligeti, the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance and Professor of European and International Criminal Law at the University of Luxembourg, has been elected as the new President of the International Association of Penal Law (AIDP/IAPL). Professor Ligeti assumed a mandate of five years as of 1 July 2024 and will make history as the first female President during the Association’s centenary existence.
Founded in 1924, the AIDP/IAPL is the oldest penal law association worldwide and, beyond that, one of the oldest scientific associations at all. For 100 years, AIDP has been advancing criminal policy, comparative criminal law and codification of penal law, international criminal law, and human rights in the administration of criminal justice, aiming to promote the development of legislation and institutions to improve the administration of criminal justice.
Professor Ligeti’s work with the AIDP spans over 25 years, during which she has served in various roles and functions: starting as Deputy Secretary General from 2004 to 2009, she then took on the role of Secretary General from 2009 to 2014. From 2014 to 2024, she served as Vice President in Charge of Scientific Coordination.
In her acceptance speech, Professor Ligeti expressed profound gratitude for the trust and honor of this nomination. She said,
‟ I am humbled to continue serving the Association as the first female president. Decades of the work of the AIDP have been devoted to promoting international criminal law and protecting international human rights in criminal justice systems. This work is still very relevant, and I aim to continue the efforts of the AIDP in upholding its values and pursuing these objectives.”
Dean of the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance and Professor of European and International Criminal Law
As President, Professor Ligeti plans to reinforce three of the Association’s strategic goals. First, she would like to enhance the AIDP’s presence in North America, the Arab world, and Africa. This should complete the already strong presence of the Association in Europe, Latin America, and Asia and strengthen the AIDP’s global reach. In particular, the Association shall further provide and extend platforms for scientific exchange across different regions of the world. Second, the impact of the Association’s scientific work on policy-making shall be substantially reinforced, calling for broader engagement in developing not only legal resolutions but also policy recommendations so that they are taken up by national, regional, and global policymakers. Last but not least, the existing ties with the Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights shall be strengthened, anchoring the Association’s scientific activities at the institute.
We extend our congratulations to Professor Ligeti on this remarkable achievement and look forward to supporting her in her new role as President of the AIDP/IAPL.