04 May 2020
It is with great sadness that we had known today the passing of Prof. Roberto Bergalli (1936-2020), outstanding voice of Latin American critical sociology of law, and former Scientific Director of the Oñati International Institute for the Sociology of Law (1993-1995). His pioneering critical approach to the history of Latin American criminology, which for years he developed whilst he directly experienced severe forms of political repression in his native Argentina until his exile to Spain, was crucial in shaping for decades all the way from the University of Barcelona various generations of critical socio-legal scholars, particularly in those countries which only a few decades ago experienced transitions from dictatorship to democracy. As IISL Scientific Director, he greatly contributed to the further visibility of the IISL in Southern Europe and Latin America, worked to forge links with Basque society and institutions, and created the basis of critical criminology in the Basque Country.
In the last years of his life, he stayed active as Honorary Professor of the University of Buenos Aires.
The whole IISL team joins Prof Bergalli's family and friends in mourning.
