When should we make use of the criminal law? Suppose that a responsible legislature seeks to enact a morally justifiable range of criminal prohibitions. What criteria should it apply when deciding whether to proscribe conduct? Crimes, Harms, and Wrongs - now available in paperback - is a philosophical analysis of the nature, significance, and ethical limits of criminalization. The book explores the scope and moral boundaries of harm-based prohibitions, proscriptions of offensive behavior, and 'paternalistic' prohibitions aimed at preventing self-harm. The aim is to develop guiding principles...

Now available in paperback This book celebrates Andreas (Andrew) von Hirsch's pioneering contributions to liberal criminal theory. He is particularly noted for reinvigorating desert-based theories of punishment, for his development of principled normative constraints on the enactment of criminal laws, and for helping to bridge the gap between Anglo-American and German criminal law scholarship. Underpinning his work is a deep commitment to a liberal vision of the state. This collection brings together a distinguished group of international authors, who pay tribute to von Hirsch by engaging...