Theories of Criminal Law - Explained
Why does criminal law exist?
Written by Jason Gordon
Updated at September 23rd, 2021
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What is criminal law in theory and practice?
Criminal law is public law passed by the federal, state, or local government. It restricts or requires affirmative conduct of its citizens under the threat of prosecution. These prohibitions may be in the form of a statute, common law rule, regulatory rule or decision, or local ordinance.
Next Article: Actus Reas & Mens Rea Back to: CRIMINAL LAW
What types of conduct are prohibited by criminal law?
Criminal laws prohibit conduct that is either considered, malum in se or malum prohibitum.
The authority for each type of law may differ, but generally criminal laws are enforced by the government and exist to protect the health, safety, and welfare of citizens.
This includes protecting the property and rights of those citizens.
Failing to comply with criminal laws can result in fines or imprisonment.
What is Malum in se?
This means that conduct is inherently wrong without regard to a statute proscribing the conduct.
- Example: Most people consider murder and theft to be innately wrong or evil without regard to a government's prohibition of the conduct.
What is Malum prohibitum?
This means that conduct is not necessarily wrong or evil, but it is made illegal based upon law.
- Example: A public company's failure to adequately disclose the corporate information to the public is made illegal by statute. Without such a statute, it may not be considered inherently wrong.
Related Topics
- What are the elements of a crime?
- Classifications of crimes Misdemeanor vs Felony Criminal Charges?
- What is the process of bringing criminal charges?
- What is the process for executing an arrest?
- What are the exceptions to reading Miranda Rights?
- What is the process for initiating criminal charges?
- What is the Arraignment and Initial Appearance
- Investigation - Subpoena
- Common Defenses to Criminal Conduct
- Types of Punishment for Criminal Activity
- Theories Behind Criminal Punishment
- Federal Sentencing Guidelines
Discussion Question
Do you generally believe that criminal laws are effective at curbing prohibited conduct? Do they effectively protect the health, safety, and welfare of citizens? Does a criminal penalty ever violate the purpose of protecting citizens? With the prison population at record levels in the US, is there a need to reform the criminal punishment system? If so, what are some alternatives that may achieve a similar purpose to the penalty of imprisonment?
- Some laws are effective and others are not. Drug laws are very strict, yet the drug trade is very strong. Some laws protect citizens and others do not. Some might argue that outlawing marijuana, despite its medicinal properties, does not protect people. Some would say that a leaker of classified information being put in prison is an example of a criminal law punishing someone for protecting the public. The criminal justice system tends to show signs of racial and socio-economic discrimination. It is noticeably true of the prison incarceration demographics. This is largely based upon the types of crimes for which the population is incarcerated (mainly drug offenses). Many would argue that jail does not reform and retrain convicts to be or become contributing members of society. Perhaps increased education and training rather than idle confinement. Of course, others would argue for stiffer penalties to include the death penalty for a wider variety of criminal activity.
Practice Question
Explain the primary differences between criminal law and civil law?
- Criminal law is a form of public law. The Federal or State Governments seek to demonstrate that an individual has broken a law passed to protect society from harm for which there is the potential for punitive measures. These might include fines, imprisonment, or injunction (orders to stop) from doing further things. A Civil Action may be public or private law. Generally, a civil action is when one party brings a legal action against another seeking to be compensated for the harm suffered due to the conduct of a defendant. There are cases, however, when one party will bring a civil action against another when no harm has occurred. They simply seek an order from the court remedying a situation that the party believes will ultimately result in harm if left unimpeded. To sum it up, criminal law punishes for conduct deemed to harm society. Civil law is suing someone when that person has wronged you legally.
Academic Research
- Alexander, Lawrence, The Philosophy of Criminal Law (May 15, 2001). THE OXFORD HANDBOOK OF JURISPRUDENCE AND LEGAL THEORY, Forthcoming. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=285954 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.285954
- Thorburn, Malcolm Bruce, Criminal Law as Public Law (October 21, 2010). THE PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CRIMINAL LAW, Duff and Green, eds., Oxford University Press, 2011. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1695544
- Gruber, Aya, A Distributive Theory of Criminal Law (October 5, 2010). William and Mary Law Review, Vol. 52, No. 1, 2010. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1688066
- Brown, Darryl K., Third-Party Interests in Criminal Law. Texas Law Review, 2002, Forthcoming. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=295639 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.295639
- Stuntz, William J., The Pathological Politics of Criminal Law. Michigan Law Review, Vol. 100, December 2001, Forthcoming. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=286392 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.286392
- Lee, Youngjae, Can Criminal Law Do without Moralism? (February 15, 2013). 12 Journal of Moral Philosophy 103 (2015). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2218763