معرفی
Heli Korkka-Knuts is an Associate Professor of Criminal Law at Åbo Akademi University (since August 1, 2025) and previously served as a University Lecturer in criminal and procedural law at the Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki. She also holds the position of Docent (Adjunct Professor) in criminal law at the University of Turku and has been a Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Criminology and Criminal Policy. In early 2025, she was a Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Dr. Korkka-Knuts' research focuses on criminal law with particular emphasis on corporate environments and corporate sustainability. Her work explores how sanctioning frameworks can be designed to optimally incentivize ethical and sustainable corporate behavior. She investigates punitive mechanisms as tools of societal governance, examining the interface between criminal and administrative sanctions in the EU regulatory context. Her research bridges theoretical legal analysis with practical applications for corporate compliance and risk management.
Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on corporate criminal liability, particularly examining how corporations can be held accountable for human rights violations and sustainability failures. She has conducted significant empirical research on criminal convictions among executives of Finnish listed companies and their implications for corporate liability risks. Her work spans doctrinal analysis of criminal law principles, empirical studies of sanctioning practices, and normative evaluations of how legal frameworks could better promote ethical business conduct.
- Juridiska föreningens litteraturpris (December 14, 2023)
- Vuoden väittelijän palkinto (Award for the best doctoral dissertation) (2016)
Dr. Korkka-Knuts actively supervises doctoral students and serves as pre-examiner for doctoral theses. She leads the SYSADMIN research project (2023-2027), funded by the Academy of Finland, which aims to develop a fairer and more coherent system of administrative sanctions. Additionally, she leads the #THRIVE project funded by the Emil Aaltonen Foundation, investigating the #MeToo movement as a turning point in the legal recognition of workplace sexual and gender-based harassment. Her research portfolio demonstrates significant grant acquisition success across multiple funding bodies, including the Academy of Finland, Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, and the Finnish Cultural Foundation.
She is actively engaged in scholarly community activities, serving on editorial boards (including Lakimies journal and Defensor Legis), participating in the Finnish board of Det nordiska juristmötet, and regularly contributing to academic conferences and workshops on criminal law and policy.
