24 Jan 2025

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Jakob Hohnerlein Selected for Oxford Exchange

Dr Jakob Hohnerlein

Dr Jakob Hohnerlein, a senior researcher at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law , has been selected to participate in our first Oxford Exchange. The programme, a collaboration between Max Planck Law and the University of Oxford’s Institute of European and Comparative Law, facilitates academic exchange for PhD students and postdoctoral researchers.

Dr Hohnerlein will begin his residency at Oxford in April 2025, where he plans to use the opportunity to advance his postdoctoral research on the values and limits of generalization in law, particularly within public security law. His project examines the balance between the predictability of general legal rules and the need for decisions to account for individual circumstances. Drawing on legal philosophy, constitutional law, and international human rights law, his work examines how generalizations in legislation can be reconciled with individual rights.

Oxford’s academic environment offers Dr Hohnerlein a chance to engage with legal traditions distinct from the German system. In his application, he highlighted his interest in the common law system’s case-by-case responsiveness, as well as its historical use of equity to correct rigidities in law. He hopes to gain comparative insights into Anglo-American approaches to moral reasoning in legal decisions, which, he noted, seem to function as a counterpart to constitutional rights arguments in Germany.

Dr Hohnerlein also expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with experts at Oxford, particularly at the Institute of European and Comparative Law, and engaging with broader academic circles, including jurisprudence, public law, and human rights scholars. He hopes to potentially meet with Professor Timothy Endicott, amongst other distinguished scholars there.

Beyond advancing his research, Dr Hohnerlein is looking forward to experiencing Oxford’s rich academic culture, which he described as renowned for its vibrant discussion circles and its distinctive tutorial teaching system. He expects these interactions to deepen his comparative understanding and inspire new perspectives for his ongoing work.

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