Two new Postdocs

Criminal responsibility and mental disorder

Tova Bennet comes from Lund University in Sweden. She has a degree of Master of Laws from Lund University and PhD, also from Lund. Her PhD project was conducted in affiliation with the Centre for Ethics, Law and Mental Health at University of Gothenburg. 

Her PhD-project explored questions related to criminal responsibility and mental disorder in the Swedish context. 

- I am intrigued by the foundational questions and concepts of criminal law and the interaction between law and other sciences, such as psychology and psychiatry, says Bennet.

Tova Bennet will be to exploring and critically examining the legal concept of psychosis in the Norwegian ‘Medical Model’ of insanity. She will read and analyse court verdicts to describe the legal practice, and work on further developing empirical legal methods to use in this type of research. 

When asked what she found interesting about the DIMENSIONS project, she is enthusiastic.

‘’Everything! The theme of criminal responsibility and psychosis (off course), the ambitious interdisciplinary approach involving great researchers from different scientific fields and countries, as well as the commitment to provide new knowledge regarding pressing societal questions that have life changing impact’’

Philosophy of Criminal Law

Raffaele Rodogno comes from Aarhus University in Denmark, on leave from his position as Associate Professor. He has a degree in International Relations (including a major in Public International Law) from the Graduate Institute of International & Developmental Studies in Geneva, a master’s in philosophy of Social Science from the London School of economics and political science. He also has a PhD in Philosophy from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. 

- I have a strong research interest in the Philosophy of Criminal Law and in particular on the affective underpinnings of our punitive practices and of paralegal practices such as restorative justice.  

Raffaele Rodogno’s post doctor position is linked to the philosophical dimension of the project. He will articulate the philosophical foundations of the Norwegian “Medical Model” of insanity and place them under intense critical scrutiny. 

Rodogno says that he found many things interesting about the project.

- Starting with the fact that it bears on a topic of extreme importance, through to its integrative, cross-disciplinary approach, and ending with its excellent researchers, states Rodogno.

Rainy welcome

Although the traditional Bergen weather has given them a rainy welcome, both of them has felt included by both by the city and the university.

They are looking forward to engage in the research environment at the Faculty, and to discover the nature and culture that Bergen has to offer.