20. Conspiracy

Author(s):  
David Ormerod ◽  
Karl Laird

This chapter examines the ways in which criminal law treats conspiracies. Some of the controversies examined include: whether it is necessary and/or desirable to criminalize conspiracies; the extent to which there can be a conspiracy under the Criminal Law Act 1977 if the parties have only agreed to commit the substantive offence subject to some condition; what must be agreed and who must intend what to happen for a crime of conspiracy; the mens rea of statutory conspiracies; and whether common law conspiracies are so vague as to infringe the rule of law.

Author(s):  
David Ormerod ◽  
Karl Laird

This chapter examines the ways in which criminal law treats conspiracies. Some of the controversies examined include: whether it is necessary and/or desirable to criminalize conspiracies; the extent to which there can be a conspiracy under the Criminal Law Act 1977 if the parties have only agreed to commit the substantive offence subject to some condition; what must be agreed and who must intend what to happen for a crime of conspiracy; the mens rea of statutory conspiracies; and whether common law conspiracies are so vague as to infringe the rule of law.


ICR Journal ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-108
Author(s):  
Constance Chevallier-Govers

In Malaysia, Islam is the religion of the state, although other religions may be practised in peace and harmony. Having inherited the English common law tradition at its independence in 1957, Malaysia is neither a secular state nor an Islamic theocracy. As a matter of fact, the Malaysian Constitution has brought Islamic law under the legislative powers of the federal States. Historical developments have thus led to the existence of two sets of law: common law and shari'ah law. Legal pluralism in Malaysia applies foremost to personal status, but also to some aspects of criminal law. The shari'ah as well as legal pluralism seem to question the rule of law in Malaysia. This two-fold aspect of the rule of law will be analysed in this article. The formal definition of the ‘rule of law’ implies the respect for the hierarchical principle and the Constitution’s supremacy. It will be explained to what extent legal pluralism in Malaysia is challenging the supremacy of the Constitution. Nevertheless, the hierarchical principle is not a goal in itself, and the material definition of the ‘rule of law’ will also be discussed. The second part of this article will focus on potential human rights issues that are implied by the notion of legal pluralism and by shari'ah law in Malaysia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-150
Author(s):  
GIANLUIGI PALOMBELLA

AbstractCan citizens’ interest in non-domination be satisfied by the principle of legality and the guarantee of non-arbitrariness? This comment argues that the rule of law requires an internal organization of law that entails an additional positive law, through conventions, common law, judicial precedents or constitutions, which the sovereign cannot legally override. In the supranational context, the rule of law requires an equilibrium of consideration and respect between different legalities by avoiding a legal monopoly of a supreme authority and fostering the interaction among orders based on content-dependent reasons. The same applies to the relations between the ECtHR and member states. The margin of appreciation, taken as a reminder of the complexities of international institutional relationships, embodies a non-domination caveat to consider (the reasons from) the ‘normativities’ of different orders. Nonetheless, as an argumentative tool of the Court, it allows for an often-disputed discretion. Accordingly, better refined guidelines and justifications are required.


FIAT JUSTISIA ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Syaputra Syaputra

The Criminal Code as a legacy of Dutch colonialism could no longer follow the dynamism of community life. It is too rigid has obliterated the sense of justice which is the goal of the creation of the law itself. This is because the articles of the Criminal Code deemed unsuitable to the development of crime and offenses increasingly complex. In the draft Code of Criminal Law, as one of the reform effort is the formulation of offenses of corruption set out in Chapter XXXII starting from Article 688 to Article 702. With the formulation of the offense of corruption and offenses positions formulated in the draft Criminal Code will disregard the Law Combating Corruption although this law of particular importance because of the substance of the articles draft Criminal Code wants to make corruption has become common crimes and do not pass through handling extraordinary. Law on Corruption Eradication cannot apply even if there is the principle of lex specialis derogat lex generalis, because of the retroactive principle that applies in the draft Criminal Code so that the decision to force the law can still be applied retroactively when the rule of law that new does not regulate the offense of criminal, so punishment can be eliminated.Keywords: Offense Corruption , Corruption , Reform of draft Criminal Code


2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 380-396
Author(s):  
Rainer Birke

In 2001, a new penal code was adopted in Ukraine after a comprehensive discussion in politics, legal science and society, replacing a codification of the Soviet era dating back to 1960, obviously unsuitable for the new realities. The new penal code of 2001 has been changed many times since then. This also applies to the criminal law provisions against corruption, evaluated and commended by GRECO. However, there is criticism of the criminal law system in Ukraine. A large number of the issues have little or nothing to do with the text of the penal code itself, but with deficits in the application of the law and the resulting loss of confidence in the activities of the law enforcement authorities. The judiciary is said to have a significant corruption problem and is significantly overloaded. The latter is to be counteracted by the introduction of the class of misdemeanor (“kryminalnyj prostupok”) in 2019 that can be investigated in a simplified procedure, which has been criticized, inter alia, because it bears the risk of the loss of quality and possibly infringes procedural rights. Also in 2019, the work on a once again completely new codification of the penal code was commenced, which is not entirely surprising in view to the existing criticism of manual errors or inadequacies of the recent code. It is to be hoped that Ukraine, with the existing will and the necessary strength, will succeed in the creation of a criminal law system that is fully in compliance with the rule of law and that a penal code will be drafted that finally finds full recognition in the society.


Author(s):  
Stuart Sime

This chapter considers the modern scope and limitations on the use of the court’s inherent jurisdiction in common law jurisdictions. It considers the underlying juridical basis for the jurisdiction, and the underlying theories, namely that residuary powers were vested in the High Court in England and Wales by the Judicature Acts, and that all courts have inherent powers to prevent abuse of process. It considers the ramifications of the distinction between inherent jurisdiction and inherent powers. Changes in the legal landscape since the seminal articles by Master Jacob and Professor Dockray, including the codification of civil procedure in many common law jurisdictions, and modern understanding of the rule of law and the separation of powers, are considered. It is argued that while existing applications of the inherent jurisdiction should be retained, it is no longer acceptable for the English High Court, and equivalent courts in other jurisdictions, to generate new procedural law by resorting to the inherent jurisdiction.


2019 ◽  
pp. 75-90
Author(s):  
Henk Addink

The concept of the rule of law has different—common law and continental—historical roots and traditional perspectives. The common law tradition is more focused on limiting the powers of the state, whereas the continental tradition focuses on not just to limit but also to empower the government. But both systems have a focus on the rule of law. The rule of law in the classical liberal tradition is based on four elements: legality, division and balance of powers, independent judicial control, and protection of fundamental rights. The differences between rule of law and rechtsstaat are: different concepts of the state, mixed legal systems and different approaches of a constitution, and different perspectives on human rights. There are two levels of development: a model in which law is a way of structuring and restricting the power of the state, the second level is more subjective and has important individual positions. The concept of good governance related to these developments makes clear the need to broaden the concept of the rule of law.


Author(s):  
David Harris ◽  
Michael O’Boyle ◽  
Ed Bates ◽  
Carla Buckley

This chapter discusses Article 7 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which incorporates the principle of legality, by which, in the context of criminal law, a person should only be convicted and punished on a basis of law. Article 7 prohibits the retroactive application of criminal offences and of sentences imposed for them. The guarantee in Article 7 is an essential element of the rule of law, and has as its object and purpose the provision of effective safeguards against arbitrary conviction and punishment. An exception is allowed for offences that were contrary to general principles of law recognized by civilized nations.


2003 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 595-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles F. Abernathy

Most European and American attorneys and judges think the U.S.A. has its legal roots in English common law, and that is probably true for the many areas of U.S. law that are still controlled by the traditional common-law process of simultaneously making and applying law. Yet, with respect to constitutional law – America's greatest legal contribution to modern respect for the rule of law, the roots of the U.S. legal system are firmly planted in Europe, not England. The U.S. Constitution was inspired by French revolutionary ideas of rationalism in law; it was intended as an integrated document just like codes; and it has been interpreted by American judges to be not just a political document but binding law – law that is binding on all three branches of government, legislative, executive, and judiciary. In fact that was the holding in Marbury v. Madison, the case decided exactly two hundred years ago.


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