Jan-Carl is a graduate from the LLM Criminal Justice & Penal Change programme at the University of Strathclyde
Tell us a little bit about your background...
I work as a criminal defence lawyer with a focus on organised crime, extradition law, white collar crime and juvenile criminal law in the law firm "Anwaltsbüro im Hegarhaus" in Freiburg, Germany. Previously, I studied law in Germany and France, then completed the LLM in Criminal Justice & Penal Change at the University of Strathclyde and deepened my knowledge of the British penal system in a comparative PhD research project at the University of Greifswald. I am also a lecturer at the University of Freiburg, Germany where I taught Criminology 2 in the winter semester 2024/25.
What drew you towards undertaking a Masters degree?
The very exciting Masters programme with clearly recognisable practical relevance. Another aspect was the aspect of Scotland and in particular the study location in Glasgow.
Tell us about the format of the programme. What was a typical week like?
Every week was incredibly exciting and varied: in addition to various lectures, we often went on excursions to better understand the practical application of what we had learnt in theory. I would like to highlight the participation in court hearings or, for example, the Glasgow CCTV Centre, from which I benefitted greatly.
Tell us a little bit about your dissertation topic...
As part of my dissertation, I analysed the English, Welsh and Scottish penal systems and was able to build on the knowledge gained in the course.
What was the academic support at Strathclyde like?
The support was outstanding at all times. Any queries were taken very seriously and dealt with in detail. We were offered opportunities that went far beyond simply attending lectures. We were able to attend conferences and listen to exciting lectures that gave you a "real insight" into the field of "Criminal Justice & Penal Change". Cyrus Tata was my first point of contact when applying for the programme and was incredibly helpful and friendly right from the start - an asset to the University of Strathclyde.
Tell us a little bit about how your degree has helped you in your post-University life...
I have already mentioned that one of my specialisms is in the area of extradition law. There, I am intensively involved with human rights and minimum standards that apply in particular to the penal system. Building on the findings from the Masters programme, which I deepened in a PhD, I succeeded in convincing the German Karlsruhe Regional Higher Court that prison conditions in England and Wales raise issues of human rights compliance. This relates in particular to the issue of prison overcrowding and associated problems. This enabled me to obtain the first decision in which a German court refused to extradite a defendant to the United Kingdom. The proceedings were reported on internationally, cf. "The Guardian, 5. Sept. 2023, Germany refuses to extradite man to UK over concerns about British jail conditions - Court in Karlsruhe decides against extradition of Albanian man 'in view of the state of the British prison system'. The Washington Post.
What advice would you give to someone considering applying for this course?
If possible, prepare yourself for the Scottish dialect - e.g. with films/series. I actually thought (before starting the course) that I had a good command of English. The first few months were tough, but you find your feet and meet wonderful and very open people. I still have good contacts with fellow students from that time.