Criminal justice, punishment and fundamental rights

The module will critically examine a series of controversial topics in the field of criminal justice and the theory of punishment, selected from different legal orders. Students will be confronted with the reading of classic essays and seminal judgments of criminal courts drafted in English. Class discussions will be aimed at stimulating students' critical thinking as well as highlighting the practical implications of theoretical problems. Particular attention will be given to the crosscutting issue of the protection of fundamental rights of both victims of crimes and defendants.

By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- take active part to class discussions based on essays of criminal law doctrine and criminal courts' judgments
- understand the practical implications of theoretical problems in the field of criminal law
- addressing legal issues arising from different penal systems
- argue their own thesis when confronted with complex legal problems in the field of criminal law