Criminal Law Web


German Criminal Law
Selected Cases & Materials



Preliminary

Criminal Law Science
     Dubber, The Promise of German Criminal Law: A Science of Crime and Punishment
Theories of Punishment
     Dubber, Theories of Crime and Punishment in German Criminal Law
Jurisdiction
     Federal Court of Justice (BGH) Convicts Foreigner for Internet Posted Incitement to Racial Hatred
     Dubber, Criminal Jurisdiction and Conceptions of Penality in Comparative Perspective
Legality Principle (nulla poena sine lege)
     General
          Dubber, The Legality Principle in American and German Criminal Law
     Prospectivity (ex post facto)
          Borderguard Case, BGHSt 39, 1 (Fed. Ct. Just. 1992)

General Part

Complicity
     Dubber, Criminalizing Complicity: A Comparative Analysis
Corporate Criminal Liability
     Dubber, The Comparative History and Theory of Corporate Criminal Liability
Necessity
     Aviation Security Act, 115 BVerfGE 118 (Fed. Const. Ct. 2006)
     Hörnle, Hijacked Airplaines: May They Be Shut Down?
Reasonableness
    
Hörnle, Social Expectations in the Criminal Law: The "Reasonable Person" in a Comparative Perspective
Sentencing
     General
          Streng, Sentencing in Germany: Basic Questions and New Developments
     Preventive Detention
          M. v. Germany, app. no. 19359/04, 17 Dec. 2009 (Eur. Ct. Hum. Rts.)    
          Dünkel & van Zyl Smit, Preventive Detention of Dangerous Offenders Re-examined

Special Part

Constitutional Limits
     Cannabis Case, BVerfGE 90, 145 (Fed. Const. Ct. 1994)
     Dubber, Policing Morality: Constitutional Law and the Criminalization of Incest
Rechtsgut Principle
    
Dubber, Theories of Crime and Punishment in German Criminal Law
Dignity
     Hörnle & Kremnitzer, Human Dignity as a Protected Interest in German Criminal Law
Terrorism (StGB § 129a)
     Kretschmer, Classification and Fundamental Principles of Section 129a StGB
Holocaust Denial (StGB § 130)
     Federal Court of Justice (BGH) Convicts Foreigner for Internet Posted Incitement to Racial Hatred
Incest (StGB § 173)
     Dubber, Policing Morality: Constitutional Law and the Criminalization of Incest
Murder (StGB § 211)
     The Cannibal of Rotenburg, BGHST 50, 80 (Fed. Ct. Just. 2005) [pp. 684-87]
Money Laundering (StGB § 261)
     Bussenius, Money Laundering by Defence Counsel

Procedure

Plea Bargaining
     BGHSt 50, 40 (Fed. Ct. Just. 2005) [pp. 700-05]
     Dubber, American Plea Bargains, German Lay Judges, and the Crisis of Criminal Procedure



History

German Criminal Code (StGB)
    
Alternative Draft (Alternativ-Entwurf) (AE 1966) (HeinOnline) (German)
     Imperial Criminal Code (RStGB) 1871 (German)
          English translation (1885)
     Prussian Criminal Code (PrStGB) 1851 (German)

Texts
     PJA Feuerbach, Lehrbuch des gemeinen in Deutschland geltenden peinlichen Rechts (1801)
     Birnbaum, Ueber das Erforderniß einer Rechtsverletzung zum Begriffe des Verbrechens (1834)
     Köstlin, System des deutschen Strafrechts (Allgemeiner Teil) (1855)
     Liszt, Der Zweckgedanke im Strafrecht (1882)
     Merkel, Lehrbuch des deutschen Strafrechts (1889)