Criminal Law

Text takes a broad approach to the study of criminal law, combining carefully edited cases with the text analysis (60 percent text, 40 percent cases). Brief Note Cases following the main excerpted cases show variations on the interpretation and application of general principles, not just rules applicable to a single jurisdiction. The texts historical perspective illustrates how the principles of law remain consistent while the laws themselves adapt with the changing times. Part One covers the general part of criminal law, including discussions of the nature and origins of criminal law, the constitutional limits on criminal law, the general principles of criminal liability, the doctrines of complicity and incomplete crimes, and the defenses of justification and excuse. Part Two examines the special part of the criminal law, including crimes against persons, habitation, property, and public order and morals.