Valsamis Mitsilegas, Professor of European Criminal Law

Valsamis Mitsilegas is a Professor of European Criminal Law at Queen Mary, University of London. His interests areas of expertise include: EU law, EU Justice and Home Affairs (e.g. immigration, asylum & border controls, criminal law, police & judicial co–operation in criminal matters and the external dimension of EU action in these fields), national and international legal responses to inter alia transnational organised crime, money laundering and terrorism. His work explores the impact of national, EU and international measures justified as necessary to protect internal security on civil liberties and fundamental legal principles.

He has served as Legal Adviser to the House of Lords Select Committee on the EU (2001-2005), regular Consultant to parliaments, EU institutions and international organisations, Expert Adviser to the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), Specialist Adviser to the House of Commons Home Affairs and Justice Committees, Special Adviser to the House of Lords EU Committee, Expert Adviser to the Judiciary of England and Wales. Professor Mitsilegas is also active with NGOs, think tanks and academic networks aiming to shape European and domestic law and policy on immigration and crime. He is a member of the European Union Sub–Committee of the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA), was a member of a Working Party convened by the Federal Trust and a member of the International Advisory Group to the Refugee Council. He is also a member of the Management Committee of the European Criminal Law Academic Network (ECLAN).

Key publications: EU Criminal Law, Hart Publishing (February 2009, ISBN 9781841135854); Money Laundering Counter–Measures in the European Union: A New Paradigm of Security Governance versus Fundamental Legal Principles, Kluwer Law International, 2003 (ISBN 90–411–2131); The European Union and Internal Security (co-authored with J. Monar and G.W. Rees), Palgrave/Macmillan Global Academic Publishing, 2003 (ISBN 0-333-94630-8).

Professor Mitsilegas has also published numerous articles in refereed journals, written chapters in collective publications and given lectures, training courses and public policy seminars.