Rate My Professor Elbert de Jong

Elbert de Jong is Professor of Private Law in the Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance at Utrecht University, where he is affiliated with the Utrecht Centre for Accountability and Liability Law (UCALL) and the Molengraaff Institute for Private Law. Appointed to this position on 1 September 2020, he previously served as Associate Professor following a research stay at the University of Oxford's Institute of European and Comparative Law from 2017 to 2018, funded by an NWO-Rubicon grant. De Jong earned his PhD from Utrecht University in June 2016 with a thesis on Precautionary Duties in Tort Law, supervised by Prof. A.L.M. Keirse. An alumnus of the Utrecht Law College, he began his academic career as a postdoc researcher at UCALL after his doctorate. In 2021, he was appointed chairman of the Utrecht Law College, becoming the first alumnus to hold this position.

De Jong's research examines the interaction between private law, particularly the law of obligations and tort law, and complex societal challenges including public health, environmental protection, innovation, sustainability, climate change, and the circular economy. His interests encompass the role of civil judges in risk regulation, the precautionary principle in tort liability, injunctive relief for health and environmental risks, European tort law, state liability under human rights law, causation, and macro-effects in judicial decision-making. Notable publications include 'Macro effects in climate change mitigation cases: four empirical challenges' (2026), 'The Bonaire Climate Case: State Mitigation Obligations after KlimaSeniorinnen' (2026), 'Tort law and accountability' (2026), and contributions to 'Regulating Risk through Private Law' (2018). He edited 'Corporate Accountability and Liability for Climate Change' (Edward Elgar, 2024). Among his honors are the KNAW Early Career Partnership (2020), NWO-Rubicon award (2016), KNAW membership fund (2016), and the publication prize of the Dutch Society for Civil Law (2014). De Jong is a member of the editorial board of the Dutch Journal of Civil Law and teaches courses such as Perspectives on Tort Law and Law of Obligations.