Röling was born in 's-Hertogenbosch as a son of journalist Gerardus Röling en Christina Maria Dorothea Taverne.
He studied law at Radboud University Nijmegen and Utrecht University.
At the latter he graduated cum laude in 1933 with his dissertation De wetgeving tegen de zogenaamde beroeps- en gewoontemisdadigers, which was awarded a prize by the Groningen University.
He started teaching in Utrecht the same year and founded the Institute for Criminology in 1934 together with Willem Pompe.

In 1946 he was appointed member of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East.
In deliberations with judges from ten other countries, he dissented from the tribunal's verdict that convicted Japan as aggressor.
His views were shared by fellow judge Radhabinod Pal from India.
However, under the rules of the tribunal, all verdicts and sentences were decided by a majority of the presiding judges.

In 1950 Röling was appointed professor at Groningen University where he founded the Institute for Polemology in 1962.
He retired from academic life in 1977 but remained active for the Institute until his death in 1985.
Röling was born in 's-Hertogenbosch as a son of journalist Gerardus Röling en Christina Maria Dorothea Taverne. He studied law at Radboud University Nijmegen and Utrecht University. At the latter he graduated cum laude in 1933 with his dissertation De wetgeving tegen de zogenaamde beroeps- en gewoontemisdadigers, which was awarded a prize by the Groningen University. He started teaching in Utrecht the same year and founded the Institute for Criminology in 1934 together with Willem Pompe.
In 1946 he was appointed member of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East. In deliberations with judges from ten other countries, he dissented from the tribunal's verdict that convicted Japan as aggressor. His views were shared by fellow judge Radhabinod Pal from India. However, under the rules of the tribunal, all verdicts and sentences were decided by a majority of the presiding judges.
In 1950 Röling was appointed professor at Groningen University where he founded the Institute for Polemology in 1962. He retired from academic life in 1977 but remained active for the Institute until his death in 1985.
Bert Röling