The internationalization of criminal law: Transnational criminal law, basis for a regional legal theory of criminal Law

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present the criminal offences related to the organized crime as a result of a process of internationalization of Criminal Law in which different legal systems interfere. The selected methodology of the present paper is based on instruments which correspond with a qualitative methodological strategy. As reporting units are identified: local legislation (criminal legislation of the States under consideration, namely permanent member states of MERCOSUR) international legislation and legal doctrine. With regard to the investigative technique, it is used the traditional documentary analysis: contest analysis. The criminal offences characteristic of this new model of Criminal Law sets up a new discipline, namely "Transnational Criminal Law". As a consequence of this, the development of a regional dogmatic of criminal law becomes necessary to provide legal certainty, but also to act as retaining wall facing to ideas, categories and intuitions of other systems of criminal imputation which become dysfunctional when they are applied in our system. The establishment of a regional of criminal law around the Transnational Criminal Law becomes thus a new regional strategy faced with the Americanization of criminal policy.