The present volume draws together original and significant essays from a number of leading authorities which identify areas of the modern criminal law where there are significant conceptual difficulties. The project developed from a series of seminars in Cambridge University, in which leading Anglo-American philosophers, criminal lawyers and legal theorists explored subjects such as attempts, intention, justification, excuses, coercion, complicity, drug-dealing and criminal harm. The topics covered in this impressive collection were chosen for their topicality as well as their theoretical and...

Written by leading philosophers and lawyers from the United States and the United Kingdom, this collection of original essays offers new insights into the doctrines that make up the general part of the criminal law. It sheds theoretical light on the diversity and unity of the general part and advances our understanding of such key issues as criminalisation, omissions, voluntary actions, knowledge, belief, reckelssness, duress, self-defence, entrapment and officially-induced mistake of law.

Prohibitions against offensive conduct have existed for many years, but their extent and use was on the decline. Recently however, several jurisdictions-including England and Wales-have moved to broaden the reach and severity of measures against -incivilities-. New UK measures include expanded targeting of unpopular forms of public conduct, such as begging, and legislation authorizing magistrates to issue prohibitory orders against anti-social behavior. Because these quality-of-life prohibitions can be so restrictive of personal liberties, it is essential to develop adequate guiding and...