Bernd Hecker

Bernd Hecker serves as Professor for German and European Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, as well as Environmental and Economic Criminal Law at the University of Tübingen since 2016. Previously, he held professorships at the University of Trier (2010-2016) and the University of Giessen (1996-2000). He completed his habilitation at the University of Konstanz (1992-1996) on criminal product advertising in the context of European Community law and earned his doctorate in environmental criminal law from the same institution in 1991.

His scholarly focus encompasses:

• European Criminal Law harmonization processes
• Environmental Criminal Law and systematic case law analysis
• Economic Criminal Law and regulatory compliance
• Legal aspects of assisted suicide and end-of-life decisions
• The application of EU law within national criminal justice systems

Professor Hecker's publication pattern reveals consistent scholarly engagement, particularly his annual systematic overviews of environmental criminal law case law. His research has increasingly addressed the legal ramifications of the Federal Constitutional Court's assisted suicide ruling while maintaining his foundational work on EU-Germany criminal law relations. His publications demonstrate both theoretical depth and practical relevance to contemporary legal challenges.

Professional distinctions include:

• Permanent contributor to JuS-Rechtsprechungsübersicht legal commentary
• Editorial board member of Kriminalpolitische Zeitschrift (KriPoZ) since 2010
• Scientific advisory board member of Bertha v. Suttner Studienwerks since 2022

He leads an active research team comprising multiple academic researchers including Dr. Maximilian Lenk, Dr. Julius-Vincent Ritz, and Dr. Tamara Schneider, along with scientific assistants and student employees. Professor Hecker has authored the influential textbook 'Europäisches Strafrecht' (now in its 6th edition, 2021) and co-edited the 'Handbuch der Sterbehilfe' (2020-2021), establishing himself as a leading authority in European criminal law scholarship.