Towards a theory of criminal law?

Abstract

After an initial discussion (§I) of what a theory of criminal law might amount to, I sketch (§II) the proper aims of a liberal, republican criminal law, and discuss (§§III-IV) two central features of such a criminal law: that it deals with public wrongs, and provides for those who perpetrate such wrongs to be called to public account. §V explains why a liberal republic should maintain such a system of criminal law, and §VI tackles the issue of criminalization - of how we should determine the proper scope of the criminal law. ©2010 The Aristotelian Society.