Merete Havre

Merete Havre is a Professor of Law at the Department of Public Law, University of Oslo. Previously, she served as a Professor at OsloMet – Metropolitan University and held roles in criminal justice, legal practice, and academia. Her research focuses on human rights limitations in state interventions, particularly within administrative and criminal law, child protection, and welfare law. She emphasizes legal security for vulnerable groups and bridges theoretical and practical legal issues.

Education:

• Master of Laws (University of Bergen, 2001)
• PhD in Law (University of Oslo, 2014)

Research Interests: Her work explores proportionality principles in administrative law, intersections of child welfare and criminal law, and human rights compliance in institutional practices. Recent projects include analyses of child protection measures and expert advisory roles on youth criminality and legal frameworks.

Expert Contributions:

• Advised the Norwegian Ministry of Children and Equality on child welfare rights (2023).
• Member of a justice ministry expert group on measures for youth criminality (2024).
• Contributed to interdisciplinary projects on child welfare institutional practices and legal analyses of compulsory care facilities.

Teaching: Leads courses in criminal law and procedure at the University of Oslo, emphasizing accessible legal education. Multiple nominations for teaching awards reflect her commitment to pedagogical excellence.