Staff profile

Irene is an Assistant Professor in European Union Law at Durham Law School since October 2019. She is the co-director of the Durham Institute of European Law.

Prior to coming to Durham, Irene was a research associate at the University of Cambridge, and at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, sponsored by the Wiener Anspach Foundation between 2016 and 2019. She holds a PhD from the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Vrije Universiteit Brussels, a M.A. in European Interdisciplinary Studies from the College of Europe (PO), a LLM from the University of Trento (IT), and from the University of Maastricht (NL), LLB from the University of Trento (IT) and from the Université Paris 13 (FR).

Irene has been a visiting scholar at the Max Plank Institute for the Study of Crime Security and Law (DE), and at the European University Institute (IT). In 2018 she was the recipient of the Flemish National Council (FWO) three-year Post-Doctoral Scholarship (declined), and In 2014 she was the recipient of the European University Institute - Academy of European Law Diploma.

Irene’s research interests lie in the field of European Criminal law, and inter-state cooperation in the fight against crime more in general. She is particularly interested in the legitimacy and constitutional dimension of such cooperation, and she has explored this theme in the context of EU harmonisation of criminal law, judicial cooperation, notably transfers of prisoners, and EU cooperation with third states. Her latest publication include a monograph, “The Legitimacy of EU Criminal Law (Hart 2020)”, which was recently quoted by Advocate General Priit Pikamäe.

Irene is a member of the European Criminal Law Academic Network, and an Associated, and managing Editor to the New Journal of European Criminal Law, one of the leading publications in this field.

Teaching Areas

EU Constitutional Law

EU Internal Market Law

EU Criminal Law

• EU Criminal Law
• EU Constitutional Law
• Comparative Criminal Law

• Durham European Law Institute

Authored book

• Wieczorek, I. (2020). The Legitimacy of EU Criminal Law. London: Hart Publishing.

Chapter in book

• Wieczorek, Irene & Weyembergh, Anne (2023). Transfer of prisoners and extradition cases between Europe and Japan: legal and practical challenges. In Europe and Japan Cooperation in the Fight against Cross-border Crime: Challenges and Perspectives. Matsuzawa, Shin, Weyembergh, Anne & Wieczorek, Irene London: Routledge.
• Wieczorek, I. & Parisi, P. (2021). Research Questions. In Research Methods in the Social Sciences: An A-Z of key concepts. Morin, J., Olsson, C. & Atikcan, E. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Wieczorek, I (2019). The impact of the Radu case on national jurisdictions. In The Court of Justice and European Criminal Law. Leading Cases in Contextual Analysis. Mitsilegas, V, di Martino, A & Mancano, L Hart Publishing.
• Wieczorek, I & Creta, I (2019). Individus en tant bénéficiaires accidentaux de la solidarité interétatique ? Un cas d’Etude sur les normes européeenes sur le transfers de deliquants. In La Solidarité Européenneç enjeux et perspectives. Coman, R, Fromont, L & Weyembergh, A Larcier.
• Wieczorek, I (2017). The principle of Subsidiarity in EU Criminal Law. In The needed balances in EU Criminal Law: past present and future. Brière, C & Weyembergh, A Hart Publishing.
• Wieczorek, I (2016). Understanding JHA agencies in context: where does Eurojust lie in the constitutional architecture of the Area of Freedom Security and Justice? In The European Union as an Area of Freedom Security and Justice. Fletcher, M, Herlin-Karnell, E & Matera, C Routledge.
• Wieczorek, I & Weyembergh, A (2016). Is there an EU Criminal Policy? In EU Criminal Justice and the Challenges of Legal Diversity. Colson, R & Field, S Cambridge University Press.
• Wieczorek, I, De Hert, P & Boulet, G (2013). Fondements et objectifs des incriminations au niveau Européen: le cas de la criminalité informatique. In Les fondements et objectifs des incriminations et des peines en droit pénal européen et international. Bernard, D, Cartuyvels, Y, Guillain, C, Scalia, D & Van De Kerkhove, M Anthémis.

Edited book

• Matsuzawa, Shin, Weyembergh, Anne & Wieczorek, Irene (2023). Europe and Japan Cooperation in the Fight against Cross-border Crime: Challenges and Perspectives. Globalisation, Europe, and Multilateralism. London: Routledge.

Edited Journal

• Wieczorek, I, Valsamis, M & Niovi, V (2020). New Voices in EU Criminal Law: Part 2. New Journal of European Criminal Law, 11 (3).
• Wieczorek, I, Weyembergh, A & Padfield, N (2018). Punishment, deprivation of liberty and the Europeanization of criminal justice. Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law, 25 (6): Sage Journals.
• Wieczorek, I, Mitsilegas, V & Vavoula, N (2015). New Voices in EU Criminal Law. New Journal of European Criminal Law, 6 (1): Sage Journals.

Journal Article

• Wieczorek, Irene (2022). EU Harmonisation of Norms Regulating Detention: Is EU Competence (Art. 82(2)b TFEU) Fit for Purpose? European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research
• Fahey, Elaine & Wieczorek, Irene (2022). The European Parliament as a defender of EU values in EU-Japan agreements: what role for soft law and hard law powers? European Law Review 47(3): 331-352.
• Wieczorek, I & Yanhong, Y (2020). What model for extradition between Hong Kong and mainland China? A comparison between the 2019 (withdrawn) amendment to Hong Kong extradition law and the European Arrest Warrant 2020. New Journal of European Criminal Law 11(4): 504-523.
• Weyembergh, Anne & Wieczorek, Irene (2020). Norm diffusion as a tool to uphold and promote EU values and interests: A case study on the EU Japan Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement. New Journal of European Criminal Law 11(4): 439-466.
• Wieczorek, Irene (2015). The EPPO Draft Regulation Passes the First Subsidiarity Test: An Analysis and Interpretation of the European Commission's Hasty Approach to National Parliaments’ Subsidiarity Arguments. German Law Journal 16(5): 1247-1270.
• Wieczorek, I (2018). EU constitutional limits to the Europeanization of punishment: A case study on offenders’ rehabilitation. Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law 25(6): 655-671.
• Wieczorek, I & Vavoula, N (2015). The constitutional relevance of EU Criminal Law. New Journal of European Criminal Law 6(1).
• Wieczorek, I (2014). Amanda Knox – The Truth (About the Law). Archbold Review 6.
• Wieczorek, I & Insolera, P (2013). The Italian Court of Cassation delivers its ruling in the Abu Omar case. The decision. New Journal of European Criminal Law 4(1-2): 180-184.
• Wieczorek, I (2012). A needed balance between Security Liberty and Justice. Positive signals arrive from the field of victim's rights. European Criminal Law Review 2(2): 141-157.
• Wieczorek, I & De Hert, P (2012). Testing the Principle of Subsidiarity in EU Criminal Policy – The Omitted Exercise in the Recent EU Documents on Principles for Substantive European Criminal Law. New Journal of European Criminal Law 3(3): 394-411.
• Wieczorek, I (2012). The Italian Court of Cassation delivers its ruling in the Abu Omar case. What to expect from the decision? New Journal of European Criminal Law 3(3-4): 412-420.
• Wieczorek, I (2011). The new proposal on victims' rights: what priority for the Commission, law enforcement concerns or the safeguard of the rights of the individuals? New Journal of European Criminal Law 2(3): 343-348.

Other (Digital/Visual Media)

• Wieczorek, I (Accepted). My Day Learning Together, Blog Post on teaching ‘Legal Skills’ jointly to Cambridge Master Students, and Prison Based Students. Blog.
• Wieczorek, I (Accepted). The crisis of the EU solidarity: legal issues, online interview for the Think Tank “Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso”.