The consolidated research group in «Criminal law and new trends in criminal policy» has been working together since the beginning of the 1990s under the direction of Dr. Mercedes García Arán. From the beginning, he has focused his research on the analysis of the new tendencies of criminal law and contemporary criminal policy, which has allowed him to be a reference in issues such as “Crimes against public administration and the fight against corruption”; the «Criminal law of risk» and technological crime; «Security criminal law» and the small repeat offense or the serious sexual delinquency; the prevention and sanction of “White collar criminality”; as well as the “Influence of the media in the criminal policy” and “Criminal and political responsibility of political parties”. Currently, his research activity focuses on the “Restorative justice in white collar crime”.

During this period, the group has managed or participated in a total of 30 competitive, state, regional and european research projects; has directed a total of 30 doctoral theses and has published more than 100 articles in indexed magazines, more than 60 book chapters and more than 20 books. His research activity has earned him the recognition as a consolidated Research Group by the Generalitat de Catalunya in the calls 2014-2016 and 2017-2021.

The specialization of its members has also allowed him to be part of the cloister of specialized masters and postgraduates of national and international scope. Among the first, participation in the «Master’s Degree in Enterprise Law» of the UAB, in the «Master’s Degree in Environmental Law» of the Universidad Internacional de Andalucía or the «Master in Local Government» organized by the Catalan Association of Municipalities in Collaboration with the UAB and the URV. Among the international masters and postgraduates, we highlight the participation in the «Postgraduate in Economic Crime» of the National University of Mar del Plata (Argentina). The Group has also developed an important task of expert advice to national and foreign entities. In this last aspect, the Group has the collaboration of the Institute of Law and Technology in order to have the multidisciplinary perspective and the technical resources that are required.