Public Law Seminar Series / Self-Endangerment and Objective Attribution in Criminal Law
Speaker: Dr. Engin Turhan
Date & Time: 16 June 2026, Thursday – 14:00
Venue: Library Art Gallery
Abstract:
Objective attribution is among the most controversial topics in Continental European criminal law. While this complex theoretical field has been extensively discussed in Germany, it has received comparatively little attention in Turkish scholarship. Yet it plays a crucial role in establishing the material elements of an offence (actus reus), since attributing a consequence to an act classifies the act as legally disapproved and the consequence as the perpetrator’s own “work”.
The doctrine of objective attribution operates through several distinct constellations. One of these is the self-endangering behaviour of the potential victim, a compelling topic in its own right. The victim’s involvement in the process that places them at risk raises difficult questions from both theoretical and practical perspectives. When should an event be regarded as self-endangerment rather than endangerment by another person? This seminar addresses that question by examining the prevailing approach in Germany and proposing an alternative perspective.
BIO:
Engin Turhan completed his undergraduate law degree at the Istanbul University in 2014. The following year, he completed his legal internship and registered with the Istanbul Bar Association. Between 2014 and 2018, while pursuing a master’s degree in public law at the same university, he worked at the Mahmutoğlu Law Office as attorney at law and researcher, with a particular focus on criminal law. He completed his master’s degree with a thesis on sexual abuse of children in Turkish and German criminal law. Subsequently, Engin Turhan began with his doctoral studies in Halle (Saale), Germany. He was granted the prestigious DAAD scholarship for doctoral studies in Germany. Recently, he completed his doctoral studies, with his thesis entitled “Objective Attribution in Cases of Free-Responsible Self-Endangerment” under the supervision of Prof. Henning Rosenau at the Martin-Luther-University, where he also held research assistant positions on several occasions.
Engin Turhan has numerous national and international publications in the field of criminal law and continues his academic research in this area.
The seminar will be held in English.