Ester Herlin-Karnell
About Ester Herlin-Karnell
I am a Professor of EU law. My main research interests lie in EU constitutional law theory, EU security regulation, EU criminal law, EU sports law & equestrianism, EU market regulation, constitutional law theory and political theory. I was previously a Professor of EU Constitutional Law and Justice and a University Research Chair at VU University Amsterdam, where I was the co-director and founder of the Center for European Legal Studies (2009-2019). I hold a DPhil in law from Somerville, College Oxford, an LLM from King’s College London, and a Jur Kand (LLM) from Stockholm University. I have held visiting fellowships at NYU (Emile Noel), Michigan University, Toronto University, Berlin WZB, Haifa University, Tel Aviv University, Raoul Wallenberg centre Lund, and at Uppsala University.
My publications include The Constitutional Structure of Europe’s Area of “Freedom, Security and Justice ” and the Right to Justification (Hart publishing 2019), Market manipulation and insider trading: regulatory challenges in the United States of America, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Hart publishing 2019 with N Ryder) and The Constitutional Dimension of European Criminal Law, (Hart Publishing 2012) and numerous articles and book chapters. I am also the co-author (with G Conway & A Ganesh) of European Union Law in Context, a textbook published in 2021. I have also co-edited several edited volumes and special journal issues. Recent edited volumes include: 'From constitutionalism to war: the public uses of coercion and force', Oxford University Press (co-edited with E Rossi) and Constitutionalism Justified: Rainer Forst in Discourse (co-edited M Klatt and assistant editor H Morales Zúniga, Oxford University Press 2019).
For a list of articles and book chapters etc., please see my CV.
I am an Associate Editor of Jus Cogens (Springer) and a member of the editorial boards of EUcrim and the Journal of Economic Criminology. I am also on the editorial advisory boards of the Nordic Journal of European Law and of Brill publishing EU criminal law book series respectively.
Current PhD supervision at GU: Dmitrii Kuznetsov “Separation of powers and the role of the judiciary in implementation of states’ environmental obligations” (main supervisor), Johanna Gipperth, "EU External Relations and Climate Change" ( HRJust project- main supervisor), Hugo Lundberg "understanding sanctions in international law from a theoretical lens" - (second supervisor).
For an interview in connection with my professorship here (see this link in Swedish).
On other web sites
Research areas
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EU criminal law, AFSJ law, market regulation, data protection
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EU constitutional law
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Constitutional theory & political theory, especially republican theory and Kantian theory
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EU sports law and equestrian sport
Teaching areas
Current and recent teaching areas:
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EU market law
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EU constitutional law
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EU Area of Freedom, Security and Justice & Comparative Constitutional Law
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EU criminal law
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Legal theory
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Criminal Law
Some recent and selected articles
The Multifaceted Concept of Security in EU Law' (2026) 31 Colum J Eur L 321
(with M Arvidsson, eds), Animal Rights The Role of the EU Charter (Verfassungsbook 2025).
EU Human Rights: From a Culture of Justification to a Culture of Sympathy?. Jus Cogens (2026).
“Privatisation and Climate Change: a Question of Duties?” Jus Cogens (2024), pp 89-108
(with Duus-Otterstrom), Introduction to the Special Issue. Jus Cogens (2024). pp 1-6
"The Constitutional Concepts of Sustainability and Dignity", Jus Cogens (2023), pp 125-148.
"The Constitutional Concept of Solidarity in EU Law: Some Reflections on the Interrelationship Between Solidarity, Constituent Power, and Non-Domination" (2023) Nordic Journal of European Law, pp 131-142
"Republican theory and the EU: Emergency Laws and Constitutional Challenges", Jus Cogens (2021), pp 209-228.
"On constitutional law parameters and EU Security regulation" Boston University International Law Journal, (2018-2019 online).
(with C Gómez-Jara Díez ), "Prosecuting EU Financial Crimes: The European Public Prosecutor’s Office in Comparison to the US Federal Regime" (2018) vol 19 German Law Journal 1191-1220
The domination of security and the promise of justice: on justification and proportionality in Europe’s ‘Area of Freedom, Security and Justice, (2017) Transnational Legal Theory, pp 79-102
Recent book book chapters
“Recent Challenges for EU Market Abuse Laws: The Case of Greenwashing”, chapter in Anna Błachnio-Parzych and L Cornacchia, Financial crimes: international and regional perspectives, Routledge 2026)
“Sports and EU Law: the Case of Equestrianism”, chapter in Research Handbook on Sports in Europe (edited by E Manoli, N Scelles, AM Strittmatter, P Down), Edward Elgar forthcoming
“EU Security, Collective Self-Defence, and Solidarity”, chapter in Ekman, P., Lundqvist, B., Michalski, A., Oxelheim, L. (eds) The Depth and Size of the European Union in a Time of War. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham 2025.
“European Ways of Life and the Security Dimension", chapter in L Corrias and R Tinnevelt (eds), The European Ways of Life, Edward Elgar
Blog posts (selected):
1. Vet Bills and the EU Charter: Is Your Dog Insured? , VerfBlog, 2025/7/11, https://verfassungsblog.de/vetbills-eucharter/
2. Animals and the EU Charter: The Potential for an Animal Turn in EU Law, VerfBlog, 2025/7/02, https://verfassungsblog.de/animals-eu-charter/
3. (with M Arvidsson) Animal Law Jurisprudence in the EU and Beyond: The Role of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, VerfBlog, 2025/6/30, https://verfassungsblog.de/animal-rights-charter
4. A “Me too” Movement in the Equestrian Arena?, VerfBlog, 2024/5/14
5. A Plea for Proportionality: On the Burning of the Koran and Related Questions, VerfBlog, 2023/8/21
6. “Erdogan’s Wishlist Come True?” VerfBlog, 2023/6/17
8. “The Swedish Change of Government: Will Swedish Courts Start Asking the EU Court of Justice More Often?,” VerfBlog, 2022/11/01
9. The EU as Quasi-NATO: How Russia’s War in Ukraine upends Swedish Neutrality, VerfBlog, 2022/3/16
10. “The Public uses of coercion and force” WZB Centre for Global Constitutionalism Law Log December 2021
11. “Corona and the absence of a real constitutional debate in Sweden,” VerfBlog, 10 April 2020.