Nulla Poena Sine Lege in Continental Criminal Law: Historical and Theoretical Analysis

Описание

Тип публикации: статья из журнала

Год издания: 2018

Идентификатор DOI: 10.1007/s11572-018-9466-9

Ключевые слова: Legal fiction, Nulla poena sine lege, Personal freedom, Punishment by analogy

Аннотация: Multiple viewpoints have been expressed regarding the principle nulla poena sine lege (there exists no punishment without a pre-existing penal law). Some scholars advocate the inviolability of this maxim because it safeguards personal freedom—an opportunity to do everything not prohibited by law. However, its critics assert that riПоказать полностьюgid adherence to the principle nulla poena sine lege may do more harm than good. They argue that the maxim, while prohibiting judges from punishing non-criminal acts, makes it impossible for courts to deter them in a timely manner, which, in certain cases, may have a detrimental effect on society. To determine the correct approach to nulla poena sine lege, the paper considers its history in continental criminal law and then analyses the principle theoretically. The examination reveals that two contradictory interests—the need to safeguard personal freedom and the need to combat lawful, yet socially harmful, acts through judicial punishment—cannot be completely ignored in practice. Therefore, the findings suggest a balancing between these interests and propose a way to achieve this compromise. © 2018 Springer Science+Business Media B.V., part of Springer Nature

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Издание

Журнал: Criminal Law and Philosophy

Номера страниц: 1-10

ISSN журнала: 18719791

Издатель: Springer Netherlands

Персоны

  • Tikhonravov Evgeny (Theory and History of State and Law Department, Siberian Federal University School of Law, Svobodny pr. 79, Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federation)

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