Michel Vols

Michel Vols is a Professor of Public Order Law at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Law. He earned his degrees in Law and Philosophy from the same university and completed his PhD in 2013 on housing-related anti-social behavior across jurisdictions. As an academic researcher at the Centre for Public Order and Public Security (linked to the University of Groningen), he focuses on public order law, housing law, and human rights. His work includes founding the International Research Network on Law and Anti-social Behavior and conducting research for the Dutch Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations.

Key roles include:

• Chair in Public Order Law
• Academic Researcher at the Centre for Public Order and Security
• Visiting Scholar at universities in Ghent, Bristol, Puerto Rico, Cape Town

His research interests span public order, anti-social behavior mitigation, housing rights, and legal methodologies involving AI. Notable achievements include launching the free legal advice website overlastadvies.nl in 2019 and securing an ERC Starting Grant (€1.5M) in 2020 to study eviction protections under human rights frameworks.

He has been awarded the Nicolaas Muleriusstipendium (2016) and has authored over 150 publications, including books on housing law and comparative jurisprudence. His work bridges legal theory and practice, often using interdisciplinary approaches like data science in legal analysis.

He advises on policy reforms, such as exclusion orders for nuisance neighbors and drug-related property closures, and collaborates with government bodies on urban safety strategies. His research also explores the impact of evictions on vulnerable populations, including minorities and children.