PhD student: Dr T.R. Bleeker

Promotors: Prof Ch.W. Backes, Prof M.L. Lennarts

Duration: 15/2/2017 - 14/2/2021

PhD defence: Utrecht, 3/12/2021

Abstract:

While the doctrine of directors liability is rapidly evolving into a legal domain in its own right, little attention has been paid to the responsibility of directors for the compliance with environmental norms. This research aims to understand under which circumstances the directors can be held personally liable for environmental damage, under Dutch private, administrative and criminal law. Furthermore, because there is a high threshold for personal liability of directors, this research also reflects on the rationale of limited directors liability, and evaluates whether the protection of directors is also justified in the context of unlawful corporate environmental damage.