1923                 Louk (Lodewijk, Henri, Christiaan)Hulsman, born 8 march 1923 at Kerkrade, Netherlands.

1936                 Gymnasium Alfa partly at Rolduc and

1939                 partly at the Franciscaner Gymnasium at Heerlen.

1943                 became part of the resistance group at Heerlen.

1944                 (May) arrested and imprisoned in concentration camp Amersfoort.

1944                 (September) escaped from a transport train to Germany.

1945                 (April) Hidden with a family at the Veluwe.

1945                 (August) in service with the Shock Troops.

1945                 Studies Dutch Law at the Leiden University.

1948                 Finishes studying Dutch Law at Leiden University.

1948-1949         active at the Institute of Criminology, University of Leiden ( van Bemmelen).

1949                 active at the juridical department of the Ministry of Defence.

1951                 member of the Committee of the European Defence Community, sent to Paris.

1955 -1980        active at the Ministry of Justice in various roles:

At first the department of constitutional and penal law (organisation Public Office);

Committee on Penal affairs; delegated as representative to the council of Europe.

1964 -1986        Appointed Professor of Penal Law and Criminology at the N.E.H., Rotterdam, to construct a new juridical faculty. Goal: to come to a new form of juridical education, strongly interwoven with other disciplines like Sociology, Psychology and Economics.

1969-1970         Dean, Juridical faculty.

Realisation of the new form of academic, juridical education program, where research and a high measure of equality in involvement between professors, academic associates and students is realised.

1968-1972         Chairman group Criminal Justice, to come to a definition of the role of lawyers defending their clients in penal law.

1965-1975         Member of the curatorium of the Police Academy.

Teaching courses measuring punishment to judges, with an emphasis on empirical knowledge.

1965 -1975        Chairman of the Catholic Rehabilitation Association; development of empirically grounded perspective for a professional role for rehabilitation in criminal justice.

1966                            Chairman Committee on the role of rehabilitation.

1970-                           Chairman Coornhertliga, (reform of criminal justice)

2004-                           Chairman of the Foundation of Human Rights at Dordrecht

1965 till his death, (honorary) board membership of various international organisations:

                                   Association International de Droit Penal

                                   Société International de Criminologie

Active member of the following organisations:

                                   ICOPA (International Conference On Penal Abolition)

                                   Société International de Victimologie

                                   Group Européenne pour la Recherche de la Normativité, GERN

                        European Group for the Study of Deviance and Social Control (Critical Criminologists)

Participant and co-organiser of activities developed and organised by these organisations, including congresses and conferences.

The various fields of attention that have played a major role in national and international activities, from the area of education and existing international contacts:

Drugs, drug legislation (‘ruimte in het drugbeleid’, rapport werkgroep van Dijk/Hulsman 1971.

Rights of indigenous people (example: Chairman Russell Tribunal, Rotterdam 1980, tutoring of a thesis on South American Indians)

Abolitionism (Peines Perdues, Hulsman/Celis, 1982, translated in Italian, Dutch, Greek and Spanish)

Exchange programs with universities for visiting lectureships and more:

Various universities in South America (like Brazil and Argentina)

Educational activities:

1974 realisation of the Common Study Program of Critical Criminology

       It is still active and Louk has participated till his death.

The heart of Louk Hulsman’s work is his effort to change the way of thinking about penal law and criminology and all the connected areas of science involved. His views on juridical education were shaped from a wide variety of empirical research and favour a multi disciplinary approach. He has influenced many, never to accept at face value the way all aspects of the criminal justice system are presented, but to thoroughly research what is really there. Humanization of penal law has always been his main interest and has been the core of his life long activities, be it that those originated from the many committees he has chaired, from his work on legislation at the department of justice or the educational activities that he participated in around the world. He has had a major role in the reform of penal law on a national and international level, as a member of the committee under the ministry of justice (representative to the Council of Europe), and as a member of the committee on fines that served as an alternative to prison sentences; the committee on alternative punishment, the committee on preventive custody, and the committee on decriminalization. Conferences or congresses lead to new understanding and new papers that he wrote on these subjects. Until the last moment of his life, at an age of 85, he kept developing and stayed connected to penal law reform in the abolitionist form, the abolishment of it, visible in the many conferences, seminars, guest lectures that he was invited to because of his views. Below you will find a list of his activities in the year 2007 when he was 84 years old. The many places he was invited to and worked in this year give an example of his dedication to humanization.

January 2007:  lecture University Hamburg, Germany.

March 2007,      Rome, Italy, discussions with members of Italian parliament, representatives of various action groups, and representatives of various universities, about criminal policy.

Padua, Italy, workshop on penal law abolitionism for postdoctoral students.

April 2007,        Congress Toscany, Italy, lecture on deprivation of liberty, organisation LAPIS in cooperation with magistrates.

                        Participant congress Free University Brussels, Belgium.

May 2007:        Dubrovnik, lectures on Victimology.

June 2007:        Istanbul, Turkey, lecture for a police congress.

Lausanne, Switzerland interlabo (International workshop), elements of sentencing, combined with a meeting of Déviance et Société.

July 2007:         Hamburg, member promotion committee doctorate.

                        Lille, France, Congress University, lecture on drug policy.

August 2007: European Group, participant, congress Willem Pompe Institute, Utrecht, Netherlands.

                        Guest lectures university Buenos Aires, Plata del mar and Voto, Argentine.

                          Symposium Buenos Aires, Argentine, lecture.

                          Toledo, Spain, participant Congress Defense Social

October 2007    Paris, France, interlabo en meeting Deviance et Société.

                        Ottawa, Canada, guest lectures: Une tache pour la criminologie

                        Bogota, Colombia, guest lectures University of Colombia,

November 2007 Montreal, Canada, interlabo en conference Deviance et Société.

All through this year at various dates he gave lectures at the Academia Vitae at Deventer, Netherlands.

Hulsman, L.H.C. , Handhaving van Recht, Kluwer, Deventer/Antwerpen 1965.

Hulsman, L.H.C., Strafrecht en Gerechtigheid, Te Elfder Ure, 1965.

Hulsman, L.H.C., De Gratie, kanttekeningen vanuit strafrechtelijk oogpunt, Preadvies voor de Rechtskundige afdeling van het Thijmgenootschap, Nijmegen, 1966.

L.H.C. Hulsman, Dient het Wetboek van Strafrecht bepalingen te bevatten betreffende

het daderschap en de strafrechtelijke aansprakelijkheid van andere dan natuurlijke personen?, preadvies NJV, Handelingen der Nederlandse Juristen-Vereniging 1966, I, tweede stuk, Zwolle 1966

Hulsman, L.H.C., ‘Onbehagen over het recht’, De Gids, 130 (1967), 9/10.

Hulsman, L.H.C., ‘Provo and the maintenance of public order’, Delta, 10, 3 (herfst 1967).

Heeft het strafrecht nog zin? / schrijvers: L.H.C. Hulsman ... [et al.]. - [Nijmegen] : Criminologisch Dispuut Dr. Nico Muller, [1969]

DIJK (W.K.), Hulsman (L.H.C.), Drugs in Nederland, Bussum, Paul Brand,

Auteur: Bianchi, H. Esser, P.H. Buikhuisen, W. Enschedé, Ch.J. Griep, D.J. Wal, H.J. van der Polak, M. Hulsman, L.H.C. Ooijen, D. van Agt, A.A.M. van Franken, H. Blom, K. & Cremers, H.Th.P.        Bibliotheeknummer: 821122 a+b ST

Titel: Alcohol en wegverkeer : feiten en meningen aan de orde gesteld op het congres "alcohol en wegverkeer", gehouden op 13 en 14 maart 1970 te Amsterdam + congresmap.   Bron: Baarn, Bosch & Keuning / In den Toren, 1970.; Anthos-boek - ISBN 90-6074-431-4

Commissie Hulsman (1971). Ruimte in het drugbeleid – Rapport van een werkgroep van de stichting Algemeen Centraal Bureau voor de Geestelijke Volksgezondheid. Meppel: Boom

Hulsman, L.H.C., ‘Criminal justice in the Netherlands’ Delta, 16, 4 (winter 1973-1974).

HULSMAN L.H.C. Overwegingen bij het onderwerp: 'democratisering van de rechtsspraak' in: DOORN W.G.J. van & PUTTEN J. van, Democratie: Mogelijkheden en suggesties Staatsuitgeverij, 's-Gravenhage, 1980.

L.H.C. Hulsman, Waarover beslist men eigenlijk in het strafrechtelijk systeem?, in: A.J. Bins e.a., Beginselen − opstellen over strafrecht aangeboden aan G.E.Mulder, Arnhem 1981.

Hulsman, L. H. C., "Kriminele politiek en (strafrechtelijke) zedelijkheidswetgeving" (Criminal politics and punishable morality legislation) In: Bij deze stand van zaken. Bundel opstellen aangeboden aan A. L. Melai. Arnhem: Gouda Quint, 1983.

Hulsman & De Mulder (1986)Hulsman, L.H.C. & R.V. de Mulder, Straftoemeting volgens Hulsman, een juridisch computer-adviessysteem, JURICAS serie B deel 3, Lelystad:Koninklijke Vermande 1986

Beroepscode voor de politie, Vermande, Lelystad.

HULSMAN L.H.C, (1998), “Vier jaren paars in de justitie-sector”, in

Coornhertliga (ed), Crimineel jaarboek 1998, Nijmegen, Ars Aequi

Abolitionismus als Strafrechtstheorie,Gouda Quint. 1996 (Summary in

English: Abolitionism as Penal Law Theory. Theoretical Reflections on

“Symposium of the Research Committee on Sociology of Law”, I.S.A.

HULSMAN L.H.C, (1973), The Decriminalization, in Transactions of

Colloquium of Bellagio, General Report of the International Association

of Penal Law.

Hulsman, L.H.C., ‘Criminal justice in the Netherlands’ Delta, 16, 4 (winter 1973-1974).

Issues and Answers, The Rural Crime and Justice Institute, Collegeville,

General Report for the Fourth International Colloquium of the

International Penal and Penitentiary Foundation, Proceedings of the

Fourth International Colloquium of the IPPF, Rotterdam, June 1977.

Hulsman, L. H. C. 1978, 'The Dutch Criminal Justice System From A Comparative Legal Perspective', in Introduction To Dutch Law For Foreign Lawyers, Kluwer-Deventer,

HULSMAN L.H.C, (1979), together with others, “The Causes and

Manifestations of Recent Trends in Juvenile Delinquency − Their

Impact on Policies of Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation of

Offenders”, in New Approaches in the Treatment of Young Offenders.

HULSMAN L.H.C, (1979), An Abolitionist Perspective on Criminal Justice

Systems and a Scheme to Organise Approaches to ‘Problematic

Situations’, Colloque international pour le 50ème anniversaire de

HULSMAN L.H.C, (1980), together with others, Report on

Decriminalisation, Council of Europe, Strasbourg.

HULSMAN L.H.C, (1981), “Penal Reform in the Netherlands. Part 1 −

Bringing the Criminal Justice System under Control”, in The Howard

Journal of Penology and Crime Prevention, 20 , 3, pp. 150-159.

HULSMAN L.H.C, (1982), “Penal Reform in the Netherlands. Part 2 −

Criteria for Deciding on Alternatives to Imprisonment”, in The Howard

Journal of Penology and Crime Prevention, 21, 1, pp. 35-47.

HULSMAN L.H.C., (1983), On the Relation between Social Control inside

and outside Criminal Justice, Report at the International Congress on

Implications for Criminal Law, Fifteenth Criminological Research

Conference of the Council of Europe (22-25 Nov.1982). General Report

and Conclusions, Proceedings of the Conference, Council of Europe,

HULSMAN L.H.C, (1984), together with others, Toward a Victim Policy in

Europe HEUNI publications,series 2, Helsinki pp. 1-14 and pp. 224-

HULSMAN L.H.C, (1984), together with others, Report on the Discussions

and Proposed Resolutions, Actes du Colloque international de

l’A.I.D.P. (Tokyo 1984), Revue internationale de droit pénal, 54, 3,

HULSMAN L.H.C, (1985), “Conflicts as Property: Fear of Crime, Criminal

ODER(ed), Support Networks in a Caring Community, Dordrecht, Martinus Nijhof.

HULSMAN L.H.C., (1985), Critical Criminology and the Concept of Crime,

HULSMAN L.H.C, (1986), “Critical Criminology and the Concept of

Crime”, in Contemporary Crisis,10, pp. 63-80.

HULSMAN L.H.C, (1986), “Critical Criminology and the Concepts of

Repressive Approach to Crime, Amsterdam .

HULSMAN L.H.C, (1989), “The Right of the Victim not to be subordinated

Victimology, International Action and Study of the Victims, Zagreb. vol.

HULSMAN L.H.C, (1991), “The Abolitionist Case: Alternative Crime

Policies”, in Israel Law Review, 25, 3-4, Summer-Autumn, pp 681-709.

HULSMAN L.H.C, (1996), in a discussion with others, (Cayley David i.a.) in

a program series of the Canadian broadcasting corporation “To Hurt or to Heal? Ideas on Prison

and its Alternatives”, The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC

Radio-P.O. Box 500 Station A-Toronto, Ontario) pp.1-99.

HULSMAN L.H.C, (1998), “Struggles about Terminology: ‘Problematic

justice au bord du futur. Mélanges pour et avec Lode van Outrive, pp.

HULSMAN, L. H. C., (1979), « Un paradigme criminologique abolitionniste et la recherche sur la catégorie du crime », dans Le Fonctionnement de la justice pénale, Paris, Éditions du C.F.R.S. (orig. 1977)

HULSMAN L.H.C., (1970), “Le choix de la sanction pénale”, in Revue de

science criminelle et de droit pénal comparé, 25, 3, pp. 497-545.

Hulsman, Rico, Rizkalla : Fonctions et tâches de la police. Presses de l’Université de Montréal, 1974

HULSMAN L.H.C., (1975), “Défense sociale nouvelle et critères de

Recueil d’études en hommage à Marc Ancel, Paris, Pedone, pp. 20-35.

HULSMAN L.H.C, (1975), “Défense sociale nouvelle et critères de

Recueil d’études en hommage à Marc Ancel, II, Paris, Pedone, pp. 19-

HULSMAN L.H.C., (1977), “L’évolution de la peine de l’emprisonnement

aux Pays Bas”, in Revue de droit pénal et de criminologie, 57, pp.865-

HULSMAN L.H.C., (1978), “Trafic routier et système pénal. Quelques

HULSMAN L.H.C., (1979), “Un paradigme ‘criminologique’ abolitionniste

justice pénale, Editions du Centre National de la Recerche Scientifique,

HULSMAN L.H.C., (1979), “Un paradigme criminologique abolitionniste et

la recherche sur la catégorie du crime”, in DAVIDOVITCH A. (ed),

Connaissance et fonctionnement de la justice pénale: perspectives

sociologiques et criminologiques, Paris, C.N.R.S., pp 485-498.

HULSMAN L.H.C., (1980), version française du Rapport sur la

décriminalisation du Conseil de l’Europe (voir ci-dessus dans la liste

HULSMAN L.H.C., (1981), “Une perspective abolitionniste du système de la justice pénale et un schéma d’approche des situations problématiques”,

in C. Debuyst (ed) Dangerosité et Justice pénale, ambiguité d’une

pratique, Paris, Genève, Masson, Médecine et Hygiène.

HULSMAN L.H.C., (1982), avec BERNAT DE CELIS J., Peines perdues. Le

système pénal en question, Paris, Le Centurion.

HULSMAN L.H.C., (1984), avec HILDE VAN RANSBEEK

, “Evaluation critique de la politique des drogues”, dans Déviance et société,7, p. 271.

HULSMAN L.H.C., (1984) and others, Rapports pour la Quinzième

Conférence criminologique du Conseil de l’Europe. Version française

(pour les détails voir ci-dessus dans la liste anglaise).

HULSMAN L.H.C., (1984), “Planification et politique criminelle, aspects

des mesures de lutte contre la délinquence, Paris, A.Pedone , pp.43-63.

HULSMAN L.H.C., (1984), avec BERNAT DE CÉLIS J., “Fondements et

enjeux de la théorie de l’abolition de système pénal”, in Revue de

l’Université de Bruxelles, Editions de l’Universite de Bruxelles, pp 297-

HULSMAN L.H.C., (1990), “Réponse à Maurice Cusson”, in Déviance et

société, 14, 3, p. 325.

FAUGERON C. ET HULSMAN L.H.C., (1996), “Le développement de la

criminologie au sein du Conseil de l’Europe: état et perspectives”, in

H. (eds), La justice pénale en Europe, Bruxelles,

Quelques publications dans d’autres langues (liste incomplète):

HULSMAN L.H.C., (1983), “Abolire il sistema penale?” (Intervista a … con

la partecipazione di Lolita Aniyar De Castro, Alessandro Baratta, Pio

HULSMAN L.H.C., BERNAT DE CELIS J., POLITOFFS., (1984), Sistema

vehiculo de colonización y represión, en Trigesimo quinto courso

international de criminologia (société internationale de criminologie)

HULSMAN L.H.C., (1993), “El enfoque abolitionista: politicas criminals

alternatives”, en Criminologia critica y control social. El poder punitivo

del Estado, Rosario, Editorial Juris.

,Penas Perdidas,O Sistema Penal em Questao, Luam, Niteroii.

HULSMAN L.H.C., (march 1996), “Prevencion del delito y nuevas formas

de justicia”, Quadernos d’estudis I documentacio, Barcelona.

HULSMAN L.H.C., (1997), trad. Alejandra Vallespir, Pensar en clave

abolicionista, Cinap (Centro universitario de la carcel de Caseros),

HULSMAN L.H.C., (1997), “Temas e conceitos numa abordagem

SILVA(eds.) Conversacoes Abolicionistas, uma critica do sistema penal

e da sociedade punitiva, Publicao do Instituto brasileiro de Ciencias

HULSMAN L.H.C., (2002), “Alternative alla giustizia criminale”, in

RAFFAELE DE GIORGI(ed), Il diritto e la differenza, Scritti in onore di

Alessandro Baratta, Lecce, Vol. 2, pp 249-274.