Andrew von Hirsch


Andreas von Hirsch is a legal philosopher and penal theorist and the founding Director of the Centre for Penal Theory and Penal Ethics at the Institute of Criminology, Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge. He is also Honorary Professor of Penal Theory and Penal Law at Cambridge University, and an Honorary Fellow of Wolfson College.
Andreas von Hirsch has also been Adjunct Professor of Penology in the Law Faculty of the Uppsala University, Sweden. He holds an honorary doctorate of laws from Uppsala University, and an LL.D. from Cambridge University, an AB and a LL.D from Harvard University.
In 2007, von Hirsch was named Honorary Professor at the Law Faculty of the University of Frankfurt in Germany. He is founder and director of a new research center on penal theory at Frankfurt, entitled "Forschungsstelle für Strafrechtstheorie und Strafrechtsethik". Since 2018, von Hirsch also hold the honorary title of Emeritus Professor of the Rosario University in Bogotá-Colombia.
Von Hirsch's philosophical theories about penal theory and criminal law have generated an enormous body of independent literature. Von Hirsch has also been recognized by a number of distinguished scholars in, Fundamentals of Sentencing Theory: Essays in Honour of Andreas von Hirsch,, edited by Andrew Ashworth and Martin Wasik, also, in “Liberal Criminal Theory: Essays for Andreas von Hirsch”,, edited by Andrew Simester, Antje du Bois-Pedain and Ulfrid Neumann and, more recently, in “Penal Censure Engagements. Within and Beyond Desert Theory”,, edited by Antje du Bois-Pedain and Anthony Bottoms.

Commensurate Desert

Von Hirsch is one of the major contributors to modern retributive theory. Distinct from Kant's "eye for an eye," Von Hirsch asserts that crimes should be punished proportionately to the seriousness of the crime committed; this having priority over the utilitarian concerns about crime prevention. For example, theft should be punished more severely than speeding because it is morally more reprehensible; this would be true even if studies proved we might save more lives by punishing speeding more severely than theft.

Books and publications