Introduction: The Logic of Criminal Law
This introductory chapter first sets out the purpose of the book, which is to explore some of the philosophical foundations of criminal law. It then outlines the themes covered by the book including the relationship between ‘real crimes’ and ‘mere regulatory offences’; the size and shape of the ‘general part’ of criminal law; the relationship between substantive criminal law and the law of criminal evidence and procedure; the nature of criminal ‘wrongs’, criminal ‘harms’, and criminal ‘responsibility’; and the existence and importance of the criminal lawyer's distinction between actus reus and mens rea. An overview of the subsequent chapters is also presented.
Keywords: criminal law, philosophical foundations, punishment
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