This volume contributes to the emergence of a transnational canon of criminal law by critically engaging with formative texts in criminal legal thought since Hobbes.

In The Dual Penal State, Markus Dubber addresses the rampant use of penal power in Western liberal democracies. The interference with the autonomy of the very persons upon whose autonomy the legitimacy of state power is supposed to rest is systemically normalized, rather than continuously scrutinized. The fundamental challenge of the penal paradox-the prima facie illegitimacy of modern punishment-remains unaddressed and unresolved. Focusing on the United States and Germany, and drawing on his influential account of the patriarchal origins of police power, Dubber exposes the persistence of a two-sided criminal justice regime: the dual penal state. The dual penal state combines principled punishment of equals under the rule of law, on one side, with punitive discipline of others under the rule of police, on the other. Slavery has long played a central role in drawing the line between the two sides of the dual penal state. In Europe, the slave appears in the classic and still foundational accounts of liberal punishment (from Beccaria to Kant) as the paradigmatic other beyond the protection of law, not a legal subject but a mere object of the master's or the state's discretionary discipline. In America, the patriarchal power to police portrays the continuum from the antebellum slaveholder's whipping of his slaves in private and the racial terror perpetrated by slave patrols in public, to the apartheid regime of Jim Crow and the treatment of prisoners as "slaves of the state," and eventually to the late 20th century's systemic racial violence of the “war on crime" and the widespread killing of Black suspects by an increasingly militarized and armed police force that triggered the global Black Lives Matter movement.

Foundational Texts in Modern Criminal Law presents essays in which scholars from various countries and legal systems engage critically with formative texts in criminal legal thought since Hobbes. It examines the emergence of a transnational canon of criminal law by documenting its intellectual and disciplinary history and provides a snapshot of contemporary work on criminal law within that historical and comparative context. Criminal law discourse has become, and will continue to become, more international and comparative, and in this sense global: the long-standing parochialism of criminal law scholarship and doctrine is giving way to a broad exploration of the foundations of modern criminal law. The present book advances this promising scholarly and doctrinal project by making available key texts, including several not previously available in English translation, from the common law and civil law traditions, accompanied by contributions from leading representatives of both systems.

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.

This book provides a clear, concise and highly accessible overview of the key aspects of criminal law doctrine as it applies in England and Wales. The content has been revised and updated, reflecting the constantly evolving nature of the subject.

A book that students find interesting and instructors consider educationally valuable, this Fifth Edition of Contemporary Criminal Law combines traditional concepts with thought-provoking cases and engaging learning tools. Taking a casebook approach, the text covers both foundational and emerging legal topics such as terrorism, gangs, cybercrime, and hate crimes, illustrated by real-life examples that students connect with. Clear explanations of criminal law and defenses are complemented by provocative, well-edited cases followed by discussion questions to stimulate critical thinking and in-class discussion. The book provides a contemporary perspective on criminal law that encourages students to actively read and analyze the text. The Fifth Edition is enhanced throughout by new cases that offer the most up-to-date coverage of evolving legal opinions and developments in criminal law. New to This Edition New cases illuminate important concepts, including decisions on criminal acts, criminal intent, parties, corporate crime, kidnapping, identity theft, computer crime, prostitution, terrorism, and more. One or more new You Decide sections in most chapters clarify concepts to illustrate the complexity of legal analysis and enhance the interactive character of the text. Additional hypothetical problems are available on the companion site. New Crime in the News features look at recent events such as the criminal trial of Dylann Roof, the dark web, and the leaking of confidential government documents to help students apply important concepts to real-world scenarios. New and expanded discussions of critical topics cover the Second Amendment and gun control, the Trump administration's stance on marijuana, sentencing guidelines, and criminal defenses.