The Department of Law welcomes new doctoral students

The four doctoral students, from the left: Ebba Riberdahl, Alfred Berg, Leonard Örner, and Francesco Pipicella

Below is a short presentation of the doctoral students and their projects.

Alfred Berg, Private Law
Main supervisor: Joel Samuelsson

Preliminary title of the thesis: Interpretation after the return of formal requirements

When interpreting an agreement any relevant circumstances may be considered. This means that the wording of the agreement is just one circumstance among others that could be decisive when interpreting the agreement. At the same time, there are statutory requirements that certain agreements must be in writing in order to be valid, with the intention that the contracting parties must clarify their agreement by writing it down. But the wording of the agreement – the writing – is not necessarily decisive when interpreting the agreement. This possibility to interpret agreements in a way that deviates from the wording has been said to lead to the statutory requirement of writing being undermined. How then should requirements of writing and other formal requirements influence the interpretation? Is an interpretation that is in conflict with the wording of an agreement accepted if a requirement of writing applies to the agreement? The aim of the thesis project is to contribute to a better understating of the significance of formal requirements in interpretation.

Francesco Pipicella, Constitutional Law
Main supervisor: Caroline Taube
Assistant supervisor: Marios Iacovides

Preliminary title of the thesis: The role of multinational corporations in strengthening constitutionalism in fragile states.

Francesco’s research investigates the role of multinational corporations in supporting the constitutionalism of fragile states. Connecting fragility to the impairment of essential principles of constitutionalism such as the rule of law, sovereignty, and social cohesion, the research inquires if corporations might be well-suited for strengthening them. It also explores how this kind of support can influence corporations' social license to operate in critical contexts.

Ebba Riberdahl, Criminal Law
Main supervisor: Magnus Ulväng
Assistant supervisor: Gustaf Almkvist

Preliminary title of the thesis:Danger as criminal construct

Ebba’s project focuses on the issue of crimes constructed with danger; crimes that – unlike effect offenses – do not require, for a crime to be considered committed, that actual damage or injury has occurred. It is a criminal form that has risen in popularity with the legislator but that also is insufficiently researched and occasionally criticized by the jurisprudence. With the danger crime constructions potential as a starting point, Ebba’s research aims to examine the law, and clarify the origin and function of the danger figure simultaneously as she also critically discusses the regulation and the way forward. The aim of the project is thus to achieve a systematic analysis of the danger institute.

Leonard Örner, Environmental Law
Main supervisor: David Langlet

Preliminary title of the thesis: Protecting the Shore – A Study of How Sweden Regulates its Shorelines

Conflicts between various public and private interests often arise in waterfront areas. Private landowners aspire to construct vacation homes near the shoreline, while the public seeks to engage in outdoor activities in an unspoiled environment. Additionally, waterfront areas can hold significant value for biodiversity conservation. This research project investigates how the provisions of Sweden's Environmental Code regarding shore protection (“strandskydd”) address these conflicts of interest. It also examines how shore protection aligns with other legislation aimed at preserving the natural environment and the concept of “allemansrätt”, the right of public access.