Core Concepts In Criminal Law And Criminal Justice Volume 1

A comparative and collaborative study of the foundational principles and concepts that underpin different domestic systems of criminal law.

This author team had students in mind when they wrote the book on Criminal Law. Criminal Law: Core Concepts uses examples and case excerpts that are interesting and informative, along with logically organized, plain-English discussion of the Model Penal Code. This is the basis for developing a solid understanding of criminal law concepts. One look inside this book and you ll notice that every page promises unobstructed learning. You ll see an uncluttered page design, uncluttered coverage, writing uncluttered by legalese, and case excerpts uncluttered by extraneous detail Everything in this book serves a purpose. Criminal Law: Core Concepts features: A commitment to clarity, reflected in the writing style, organization, pedagogy, and design Shrewd case editing that hones in on salient themes and principles Engaging and informative examples throughout the text Plain English discussion of the Model Penal Code Timely coverage of contemporary topics, such as street crime

Attempts at trans-jurisdictional debate and agreement are often beset by mutual misunderstanding. Professionals and academics engaged in comparative criminal law sometimes use the same terms with different meanings or different terms which mean the same thing. Although English is the new lingua franca in international and comparative criminal law, there are many ambiguities and uncertainties with regard to foundational criminal law and criminal justice concepts. However, there exists greater similarities among diverse systems of criminal law and justice than is commonly realised. This book explores the foundational principles and concepts that underpin the different domestic systems. It focuses on the Germanic and several principal Anglo-American jurisdictions, which are employed as examples of the wider common law-civil law divide.

In the United States today criminal justice can vary from state to state, as various states alter the Modern Penal Code to suit their own local preferences and concerns. In Eastern Europe, the post-Communist countries are quickly adopting new criminal codes to reflect their specific national concerns as they gain autonomy from what was once a centralized Soviet policy. As commonalities among countries and states disintegrate, how are we to view the basic concepts of criminal law as a whole? Eminent legal scholar George Fletcher acknowledges that criminal law is becoming increasingly localized, with every country and state adopting their own conception of punishable behavior, determining their own definitions of offenses. Yet by taking a step back from the details and linguistic variations of the criminal codes, Fletcher is able to perceive an underlying unity among diverse systems of criminal justice. Challenging common assumptions, he discovers a unity that emerges not on the surface of statutory rules and case law but in the underlying debates that inform them. Basic Concepts of Criminal Law identifies a set of twelve distinctions that shape and guide the controversies that inevitably break out in every system of criminal justice. Devoting a chapter to each of these twelve concepts, Fletcher maps out what he considers to be the deep structure of all systems of criminal law. Understanding these distinctions will not only enable students to appreciate the universal fundamental ideas of criminal law, but will enable them to understand the significance of local details and variations. This accessible illustration of the unity of diverse systems of criminal justice will provoke and inform students and scholars of law and the philosophy of law, as well as lawyers seeking a better understanding of the law they practice.

Volume two of a comparative study of the concepts that underpin different domestic systems of criminal law and justice.

The system of international criminal justice was established in response to gross human rights violations committed during World War II. Despite its development over the past seven decades, challenges and critiques remain unresolved or have subsequently emerged, particularly in the context of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Key issues include amnesties, immunities, controversial acquittals, non-cooperation, interpretative fragmentation, and cultural clashes. Criticism emerged as a reaction to the perception of impunity and the system’s underachievement. It is important to reflect on the extent to which such challenges are inherent to the system and whether they can be overcome. What is the state of international criminal justice today? What impact have these challenges had on the system’s integrity, currency, and credibility? To what extent can we prevent or remedy them? This volume brings together major contributions to the 8th AIDP Symposium for Young Penalists which was organised by the AIDP Young Penalists Committee and convened on 10 and 11 June 2021 in telematic mode, hosted by the Faculty of Law of Maastricht University.

This edited volume seeks to reassess the old and to analyse and develop novel approaches to the notion of proportionality in criminal matters and the new security architecture. The discourse is not limited to conventional constitutional constellations and standard problems of sentencing in traditional criminal proceedings. Rather, the book offers an interdisciplinary and cross-jurisdictional exploration of highly topical, proportionality-related issues pertinent to penal theory and legal philosophy, criminalisation policies, security and anti-terrorism strategies, alternative types of justice delivery, and supranational enforcement as well as human rights and international criminal and humanitarian law. In today's global risk society, with its numerous visible and invisible enemies of the state and the individual, balancing freedom and security has become nothing less than an attempt at untying a Gordian knot. Against this background, the proportionality of measures of crime prevention and repression is unquestionably an issue of utmost importance, which basic research and legal policy in rule-of-law based systems are urgently called to address. The timely and fascinating contributions in this book, covering jurisdictions from both the common law and the civil law as well as hybrid and international jurisdictions, will appeal to academics, researchers, policy advisers and practitioners working in the areas of national and international criminal law, comparative criminal justice/criminology and legal philosophy as well as constitutional and security law.

Offers a straightforward, comprehensive and up-to-date picture of the state of affairs in European Criminal Law.