00231 - Criminal Law

Learning outcomes

- The founding principles of criminal law

- Liability to punishment (conditions for liability to punishment; causes of extinguishment of an offence)
- The system of sentencing offenders (punishments and safety measures; the process of sentencing an offender, the causes of the extinguishment of the penalty)

Course contents

-         The foundations and functions of criminal law (common good and sentencing aims)
- The historical development of modern criminal law in Italy (legal Enlightenment, Beccaria, modern codifications, Classical School and Positive School, Zanardelli Code and Rocco Code)
- The founding principles of criminal law (crimes to be created only by the legislature, principle of specificity, non-retroactivity, gravity of the offence, material nature of the offence, legal status of criminal liability and guilt, rehabilitative aims of the penalties)
- Criminal law (limits of time, space and person; rules of interpretation)
- The notion of crime and the distinction between crimes and infringements
- The systematic analysis of crime
- The typical event (act, omission, result, causation)
- Illegality (grounds for justification; special illegality)
- Guilt (mental capacity, intention, negligence, mistake, if the law is knowable, excuses)
- Types of offences (attempt, conspiracy)
- The system of the circumstances of the crime
- Concurrency of crimes: rules and limits (breaking more than one law)
- Liability to punishment (conditions for liability to punishment; causes of extinguishment of an offence)
- The system of sentencing offenders (punishments and safety measures; the process of sentencing an offender, the causes of the extinguishment of the penalty)

- General introduction to the specific part of criminal law

- Close examination of a vast area of specific part of Criminal Code.

N.B. Programma per gli studenti che hanno esercitato il diritto di opzione

- General introduction to the specific part of criminal law

- Close examination of a vast area of specific part of Criminal Code.

 

 

 

Readings/Bibliography

1)      G. FIANDACA, E. MUSCO, Diritto penale. Parte generale, Zanichelli, Bologna, 6° ed., 2009;

or

S. CANESTRARI, L. CORNACCHIA, G. DE SIMONE, Manuale di diritto penale. Parte generale, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2007;

and

2) G. FIANDACA, E. MUSCO, GDiritto penale. Parte speciale, I, Zanichelli, Bologna, 4° ed., 2007

or:

AA.VV., Diritto penale. Lineamenti di parte speciale, Monduzzi, Bologna.

 

Optional:

- T. PADOVANI, L. STORTONI, Diritto penale e fattispecie criminose. Introduzione alla parte speciale del diritto penale, Nuova edizione, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2006.

- AA.VV., La legislazione penale compulsiva, a cura di G. Insolera, Cedam, Padova 2006.

- D. FONDAROLI (a cura di), Principi costituzionali in materia penale e fonti sovranazionali, Cedam, Padova, 2008.

   N.B. Testi consigliati agli studenti che hanno esercitato il diritto di opzione

G. FIANDACA, E. MUSCO, GDiritto penale. Parte speciale, I, Zanichelli, Bologna, 4° ed., 2007

or:

AA.VV., Diritto penale. Lineamenti di parte speciale, Monduzzi, Bologna.

Optional:

- T. PADOVANI, L. STORTONI, Diritto penale e fattispecie criminose. Introduzione alla parte speciale del diritto penale, Nuova edizione, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2006.

- AA.VV., La legislazione penale compulsiva, a cura di G. Insolera, Cedam, Padova 2006.

- D. FONDAROLI (a cura di), Principi costituzionali in materia penale e fonti sovranazionali, Cedam, Padova, 2008.

Teaching methods

Because the course is a comprehensive survey of criminal law, teaching mainly takes the form of lectures. For areas which cannot be adequately dealt with in class, students are referred to the booklist. For students attending class there will also be practical work sessions on specific topics from the course which will be held by experts working in the field of criminal law.

Assessment methods

 

The topics covered during the lectures and the practical work sessions will form the basis of the oral examination.

For areas which cannot be adequately dealt with in class, students are referred to the booklist.

Teaching tools

For each topic both the normative aspects and the practical aspects are considered, with a specific analysis of the most important cases.

For areas which cannot be adequately dealt with in class, students are referred to the booklist.

Given the role of positive law in this subject, students are advised to constantly consult the criminal code both during the lectures and while studying the recommended books.

Office hours

See the website of Desiree Fondaroli