Value Construction of Criminal Law (Second Edition)

Author: Chen Xingliang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: This book is the third work in the author's research on criminal philosophy, following Criminal Philosophy (China University of Political Science and Law Press, 1992) and The Humanistic Basis of Criminal Law (China Zhengfang Press, 1996). From the theoretical perspective of value, the book examines the fundamental concepts of the classical school of criminal law and the positivist school of criminal law, revealing the confrontation and conflict between the two schools in terms of the two functions of criminal law—human rights protection and social protection. From the perspective of social ontology, based on the unity of the individual and the whole, the book proposes the principles of dual criminal functions. Based on this, the book explores the three major value goals of criminal law: the justice of criminal law, the restraint of criminal law, and the humanity of criminal law.
In the justice of criminal law, the author reveals the value connotations of justice, which include legitimacy, fairness, and equality, and discusses justice from the perspectives of criminal legislation and criminal adjudication. In the restraint of criminal law, the author reveals the value connotations of restraint, which include compactness, complementarity, and economy, and discusses restraint from the perspectives of crime and punishment. In the humanity of criminal law, the author reveals the value connotations of humanity, which include leniency, tolerance, and morality, and discusses humanity from the perspectives of offenders and types of punishment.
Finally, the author also conducts a value analysis of the two major principles of criminal law: the principle of nullum crimen sine lege (no crime without law) and the principle of equality of punishment. Taking value as the starting point, the book provides a philosophical comprehensive analysis of criminal law, representing a work of theoretical breadth and academic depth in the author's research on criminal philosophy.