The Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology (ESC) is one of the most significant gatherings of criminologists and professionals working in related fields. Each year, it brings together researchers, practitioners and policymakers from around the world to discuss current issues in criminology, criminal justice and related social sciences.
The 26th Annual Conference of the ESC was held in Warsaw, Poland, from 9 to 12 September 2026, under the theme Frontiers of Criminology. The discussions focused on the frontiers of contemporary criminology, both in terms of emerging research areas and methods and broader social transformations that require researchers to develop new approaches to understanding crime, victimisation and criminal justice systems.
The conference was also attended by researchers from the Institute of Criminology at the Faculty of Law in Ljubljana: Associate Professor Mojca M. Plesničar, PhD; Dr Vasja Badalič; Dr Miha Marčenko; Assistant Professor Dean Lipovac, PhD; Dr Nežka Sajinčič; and researcher Helena Smrekar. Across a range of thematic panels, they presented work from current and previous research projects, including an analysis of the disproportionate killing of civilians in the genocide in Gaza, examining rules of engagement, the role of artificial intelligence and the disregard for the principle of proportionality; the study Drawing a Map of the Sentencing Environment, which focuses on the environment and factors shaping sentencing decisions; and research on the effects of cannabis regulation on crime and health in Slovenia and selected European countries.
The organisers sought to address the challenges posed by broader social transformations, including the expansion of state power, restrictions on the courts’ role in protecting individuals, and the growing use of social surveillance systems. These developments require researchers to adapt both their research questions and methods in order to identify these processes and understand their implications for criminology, victimology and criminal justice systems.
