prof. Eleonora Zielińska, dr Anna Walczak-Żochowska, dr Michał
Królikowski
BASIC CONCEPTS OF CRIMINAL LAW AND PUNISHMENT:
THE COMPARATIVE APPROACH
Course Description
This course will provide an understanding of Polish criminal
justice system and basic concepts of criminal law, philosophy
and practice of punishment based on comparative approach.
Students should be prepared for general discussions in
criminal law and current events in the area of criminal law.
The students will be expected to work with Polish statutes,
European Convention of Human Rights and Rome Statute of
International Criminal Court, as well as articles and excerpts
from textbooks provided.
Course Outline
Basic Concepts of Criminal Law – First Semester
WEEK 1:
INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE METHOD
Readings:
1. W. J. Kamba, Comparative Law: A Theoretical
Framework, “International and Comparative Law
Quarterly”, vol. 23, 1974.
WEEKS 2–3:
CRIMINALISATION, DEFINITION AND CLASSIFICATION
Readings:
1. P.
Devlin,
Morals
and
Criminal
Law,
in:
Enforcement of Morals, OUP 1965.
2. H.L.A.
Hart,
Immorality
and
Treason,
The
Listener 30 July 1959.
3. A. Ashworth, Principles of Criminal Law, section
2: Criminalisation, pp. 24–58.
WEEKS 4–5:
NULLUM CRIMEN SINE LEGE, PROHIBITION OF THE POST
FACTO LAWS
Readings:
1. Judgment of European Court of Human Rights in
Case
Streletz,
Kessler,
Krenz
v.
Germany
(applications nos. 34044/96, 35532/97, 44801/98)
– excerpts.
2. Judgment of European Court of Human Rights in
Case K-H. W. v. Germany (application no.
37201/97) – excerpts.
3. S. Lamb, Nullum Crimen, Nulla Poena Sine Lege in
International Criminal Law, in: A. Cassese, P.
Gaeta, J. Jones (eds.) The Rome Statute of the
International Criminal Court: A Commentary,
Oxford 2002, pp. 773–765.
WEEK 6:
CRIMINAL CONDUCT: Involuntary Conduct, Acts, States
of Affairs, Possession
Readings:
1. A. Ashworth, Principles of Criminal Law, section
4: Criminal Conduct, pp. 96–110.
2. A.P. Simester, G.R. Sullivan, Criminal Law:
Theory and Doctrine, Oxford 2003, § 4.1. The
Behaviour Element, pp. 71–86.
WEEK 7:
PERSONALITY: Natural and Corporate Personality
Readings:
1. A. Ashworth, Principles of Criminal Law, section
4: Criminal Conduct, pp. 114–123.
2. C.
Wells,
Corporations
and
Criminal
Responsibility, OUP 2002, section: Criminal
Responsibility and the Corporate Entity, pp. 63–
84.
3. A. Eser, Individual Criminal responsibility as
Distinct from Other Types of Responsibility, in:
A. Cassese, P. Gaeta, J. Jones (eds.) The Rome
Statute of the International Criminal Court: A
Commentary, Oxford 2002, pp. 778–780.
WEEKS 8:
CAUSATION
Readings:
1. A.P. Simester, G.R. Sullivan, Criminal Law:
Theory and Doctrine, Oxford 2003, § 4.2. The
need for causation, pp. 86–108.
GROUNDS FOR EXCUSES (1) NECESSARY DEFENCE
Readings:
1. A. Ashworth, Principles of Criminal Law, section
4: Criminal Conduct, pp. 135–149.
2. A.P. Simester, G.R. Sullivan, Criminal Law:
Theory and Doctrine, Oxford 2003, § 20.2. Selfdefence and the Prevention of Crime, pp. 622–
631.
3. Regina v. Duffy, 1.Q.B. 1965
WEEKS 9:
WEEKS 10:
GROUNDS FOR EXCUSES (2) NECESSITY
Readings:
1. A. Ashworth, Principles of Criminal Law, section
4: Criminal Conduct, pp. 135–149.
2. A.P. Simester, G.R. Sullivan, Criminal Law:
Theory and Doctrine, Oxford 2003, § 20.3.
Necessity, pp. 631–640.
WEEK 11:
POSITIVE
MENTAL
ELEMENTS:
Boundaries
of
Subjectivity; Varieties of Concepts of Fault
Readings:
1. A. Ashworth, Principles of Criminal Law, section
5: Positive Fault Requirement, pp. 157–204.
2
WEEK 12:
GROUNDS FOR EXCUSES (3) – NEGATIVE MENTAL ELEMENTS:
Mistake of Fact, Ignorance or Mistake of law
Readings:
1. A.P. Simester, G.R. Sullivan, Criminal Law:
Theory and Doctrine, Oxford 2003, § 17.1.
Mistake of Fact, 17.2 Ignorance and Mistake of
Law, pp. 548–559.
2. A. Eser, Mental elements – Mistake of Fact and
Mistake of Law, in: A. Cassese, P. Gaeta, J.
Jones
(eds.)
The
Rome
Statute
of
the
International Criminal Court: A Commentary,
Oxford 2002, pp. 890–946.
WEEK 13:
THE SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR ATTEMPTS
Readings:
1. A. Eser, Attempt and Abandonment, in: A.
Cassese, P. Gaeta, J. Jones (eds.) The Rome
Statute of the International Criminal Court: A
Commentary, Oxford 2002, pp. 807–819.
2. A. Ashworth, Principles of Criminal Law, section
11: Inchoate Offences, pp. 445–475.
3. The King v. Robinson, 2.K.B. 1915
4. Haughton v. Smith, 3 All ER 1973
WEEK 14:
SUPERIOR RESPONSIBILITY
Readings:
1. A. Zimmermann, Superior Orders, in: A. Cassese,
P. Gaeta, J. Jones (eds.) The Rome Statute of
the International Criminal Court: A Commentary,
Oxford 2002, pp. 958–973.
Basic Concepts of Punishment – Second Semester
WEEK 1:
THE ABOLITIONISTS CHALLENGE
Readings:
1. N. Christie, Conflicts as Property, “The British
Journal of Criminology” 1977, vol. XVII, no. 1,
pp. 1–15.
L. Walgrave, Imposing Restoration Instead of
Inflicting Pain, in: A. von Hirsch, J. V.
Roberst, A. Bottoms (eds.), Restorative Justice
and Criminal Law: Competing or Reconcilable
Paradigm, Oxford 2003, pp. 61–79
WEEK 2:
JUSTIFICATION
OF
PUNISHMENT:
LEVELS
OF
JUSTIFICATION; RATIONAL OR EMOTIONAL ARGUMENTS IN
THEORY OF PUNISHMENT
Readings:
1. H.L.A. Hart, Prolegomenon to the Principles of
Punishment, “Proceedings of the Aristotelian
Society” 1959–1960, vol. LX, pp. 1–26.
3
2.
J. Rawls, Two Concepts of Rules, “Philosophical
Review” 1955, no. 64, s. 3–32
WEEK 3:
GENERAL PREVENTION
Readings:
1. D.
Beyleveld,
Identifying,
Explaining
and
Predictiong Deterrence, “British Journal of
Criminology” 1979, vol. 19, pp. 205–224.
WEEK 4:
GENERAL SITUATIONAL PREVENTION
Readings:
1. D. Garland, Ideas, Institutions and Situational
Crime Prevention, in: A. von Hirsch, D. Garland,
A.
Wakefield
(eds.),
Ethical
and
Social
Perspectives on Situational Crime Prevention,
Oxford 2000, s. 1–17
2. R.A. Duff, S. E. Marschall, Benefits, Burdens,
Responsibilities; Some Ethical Dimentions of
Situational Crime Prevention, in: A. von Hirsch,
D. Garland, A. Wakefield (eds.), Ethical and
Social
Perspectives
on
Situational
Crime
Prevention, Oxford 2000, s. 17–37.
WEEK 5:
REHABILITATION AND OTHER FORMS OF CURATIVE TREATMENT
Readings:
1. R. A. Duff, Penal Communications: Recent Work in
the Philosophy of Punishment, in: M. Tonry (ed.)
Crime and Justice: A Review of Research, section
I–II: Consequentialism and Nonconsequentialism,;
Consequentialism Refined pp. 4–25.
WEEK 6:
FOUNDATIONS OF RETRIBUTIVE JUSTICE
Readings:
1. H. Morris, Persons and Punishment, “The Monist”
1968, no. 52.
2. J.G.
Murphy,
Marxism
and
Retribution,
“Philosophy and Public Affairs” 1973, no. 2, s.
217–243.
R. A. Duff, Penal Communications: Recent Work in
the Philosophy of Punishment, in: M. Tonry (ed.)
Crime and Justice: A Review of Research, section
III: Retributive Themes and Variations, pp. 25–
57
WEEKS 7:
COMUNICATIVE THEORIES OF PUNISHMENT
Readings:
1. R. A. Duff, Penal Communications: Recent Work in
the Philosophy of Punishment, in: M. Tonry (ed.)
Crime and Justice: A Review of Research, section
III: Retributive Themes and Variations, pp. 25–
57
4
WEEKS 8–9:
WEEKS
11:
PRINCIPLE OF PROPORTIONALITY
Readings:
1. A. von Hirsch, Proportionality in the Philosophy
of Punishment: From «Why Punish?» to «How
Much?», “Israel Law Review” 1991, vol. XXV, no.
3–4
2. A. von Hirsch, N. Jareborg, Gauging Criminal
Harm:
A
Living-Standard
Analysis,
“Oxford
Journal of Legal Studies” XI, 1991, nr 1.
10– MODELS OF SENTENCING GUIDELINES
Readings:
1. A. von Hirsch, Guidance by Numbers or Words?
Numerical
versus
Narrative
Guidelines
for
Sentencing, in: M. Wasik, K. Pease (eds.),
Sentencing Reform: Guidance or Guidelines?,
Manchester 1987, s. 47–49.
2. T.
Lapli-Seppala, The
Principle
of
Proportionality
in
the
Finnish
Sentencing
System, „Ius et Lex” III, 2004
3. A. Ashworth, Sentencing, in: M. Maquire, R.
Morgan, R. Reiner, The Oxford Handbook of
Criminology, OUP 2002, chap. 29
WEEK 12:
‘THE NEW PENOLOGY’: THREE STRIKES AND YOU’RE OUT
Readings:
1. D. Shichor, Three Strikes as a Public Policy:
The Convergence of the New Penology and the
McDonaldization
of
Punishment,
“Crime
and
Delinquency” 1994, no. 11.
WEEK 13:
COMMUNITY PENALTIES
Readings:
1. P.
Raynor,
Community
Penalties:
Probation,
Punishment, and What Works, in M. Maquire, R.
Morgan, R. Reiner, The Oxford Handbook of
Criminology, OUP 2002, chap. 31
WEEK 14:
PUNISHMENT IN LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY: CULTURAL,
PHILOSOPHICAL AND POLITICAL DIMENSIONS
Readings:
1. R.A. Duff, Punishing Citizens, „Ius et Lex” III,
2004, part I.
2. D.
Garland, Punishment
and
Modern
Society,
Oxford 1990, chap. 5
5
6