Criminal Law

The Module on Criminal Law has been designed to give students a thorough understanding of the nature, origins and purposes of criminal law, the general principles of criminal liability and complicity to liability. It covers several considerations including the place of criminal law in criminal science, the definition of crime, and the distinction between civil and criminal wrongs. An account of the historical development of criminal law in Ethiopia will be provided; the purpose and scheme of the Revised Criminal Code of the FDRE (2004) and the classification of offences under the Code shall be discussed.

The module also covers detailed discussions of the basic principles of criminal law such as legality, equality, individual autonomy and jurisdiction. Establishing criminal liability, degrees in the commission of crime and participation, defenses available to the accused, types of punishments under the Revised Criminal Code of the FDRE, the determination of penalties, suspension of sentences, pardon, amnesty and reinstatement are some of the main themes of analyses.

The theories of punishment - including the objectives of prevention, deterrence, reformation and rehabilitation will likewise be provided emphasis with a special reference to the principle of individualization of criminal punishment. The module also explains specific crimes, defenses raised to negate responsibility, and finally presents on the Petty Code, its distinction from crimes and the purposes of petty code system.

Module Objectives, Competence Acquired

After a successful completion of the course, students are expected to achieve basic knowledge and competence regarding:

·       the meaning of Criminal Law;

·       the character, function and principles of Criminal Law;

·       the main categories of defenses against criminal liability;

·       the scope and essentials of defences;

·       punishment, the general and specific objectives and categories of punishment under the Criminal Code;

·       the principles guiding the determination of punishment;

·       the circumstances under which penalty may be reduced or increased;

·       the distinction between criminal law, private law and morality;

 

Chapters to be covered

Chapter I: Introduction to Criminal Law

·       General Considerations

·       The Place of Criminal Law in Criminal Science

·       Nature and Scope of Criminal Law

·       General Objectives of Criminal Law

·       Criminal Law, Private law and Morality-Distinguished

·       The Concept of Crime

·       Crime Distinguished from Civil Wrongs

 

Chapter II: The Development of Criminal Law of Ethiopia

·       Historical Background

·       The Criminal Code of the FDRE Proclamation No. 414/ 2004

·       Scheme of the Criminal Code of the FDRE

·       Classification of Crimes under the Criminal Code

 

Chapter III: Basic Principles of Criminal Law

·       Principle of Legality

·       Nullum Crimen Sine Lege

·       Certainty in Legislation

·       Accessibility of Law

·       The Rule of Strict Construction

·       Non-retroactivity of Criminal Law

·       Nulla poena sine lege

·       Non bis in idem (The Doctrine of Double Jeopardy)

·       The Principle of Equality Before Law

·       Exceptions by Virtue of Recognized Immunities

·       Immunities Sanctioned by Public International Law

·       Requirements of Individualization of Criminal Justice

·       Special Treatment of Women, Young Persons and the Feeble Minded

·       The Principle of Individual Autonomy

 

Chapter IV: Jurisdiction under the Ethiopian Criminal Code

·       Fundamental Principles of Application of Jurisdiction

·       Territorial Application of Principal Jurisdiction

·       Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction

·       Subsidiary Jurisdiction (Arts.17-20)

·       Extradition (Art.21)

 

Chapter V: Prerequisites for Criminal Liability

·       Crime and its Commission

·       Essential Elements of Crime

·       Legal Ingredients of Crime

·       Material and Moral Elements of Crime

·       Analysis of Provisions Related to Ingredients of Crime

·       Intention and Negligence

·       Relationship of Cause and Effect and Tests

·       Factors Break ing the Chain of Causation

·       Difficulties in the Assessment of Physical Element of Crime

·       Concurrence of Crimes

·       Guilt in Cases of Crimes

·       Concurrence of Criminal Provisions

·       Corporate Criminal Responsibility: Goals, Kinds and Principles

 

 

Chapter VI: Degrees in the Commission of Crime

·       Different Stages in the Commission of Crime

·       Preparation, Attempt, Renunciation and Active Repentance

·       Impossible Offences

 

Chapter VII: Participation in the Commission of Crime

·       Participation in Principal Capacity

·       The Material Offender

·       The Moral Offender

·       The Indirect offender

·       Participation in Secondary Capacity

·       Incitement, Complicity and Criminal Conspiracy

·       Participation of Juridical Persons in a Crime

·       Accessories After the Fact

 

Chapter VIII: Criminal Responsibility

·       Criminal Responsibility and Irresponsibility

·       Insanity

·       Absolute Irresponsibility

·       Limited Responsibility

 

·       Intoxication

·       Infancy

 

Chapter IX: Affirmative Defenses

·       Lawful Acts

·       Justifiable and Excusable acts

·       Professional Duty

·       Consent as a Defense

·       Coercion/Duress

·       Absolute Coercion

·       Resistible Coercion

·       Superior orders

·       Necessity

·       Legitimate Defence

·       Mistake

 

 

Chapter X: Criminal Punishment and its Application

·       Theories of Punishment

·       Retributive Theory

·       Deterrent Theory

·       Preventive Theory

·       Reformative Theory

·       Kinds of Punishment

·       Principal and Secondary Punishments

·       Special Measures

·       Determination and Suspension of Penalty

·       Discontinuance and Extinction of Penalty

 

Chapter XI: Special Part of Criminal Code

·       The Relationship between General and Special Parts

·       Finding the Relevant Law

·       Interrelationship of Provisions

·       Cross-references Within the Code

·       Crimes Against the State

·       Treason

·       Espionage

·       Crimes Against Life

·       Right to Life Under the Constitution

·       Constitutionality of the Death Penalty

·       Crimes Against Person

·       Crimes Against Women and Children

·       Crimes Against Property

 

 

 

 

Chapter XII: The Code of Petty Offences

·       Petty Offences - Definition

·       Jurisdiction of Petty Code

·       General Principles of Liability in case of Petty Offences

·       Penalties and Measures under the Petty Code

·       Procedural Requirements in Petty Offences

·       Enforcement of Penalties underthe Petty Code

 

Chapter XIII: Criminal Law in a Changing World

·       Social Values and the Ambit of Criminal Law

 

·       Economic Crimes against Community

·       Environment Pollution and the Criminal Law

·       Sexual Permissiveness and the Criminal Law

·       Criminal Law in a Welfare State

·       Modern Science and Responsibility of the Individual

·       Modern Psychology, Control over Behavior and the Criminal Law

·       Changing Purposes of Punishment

·       Alternatives to the Criminal Sanction

·       What Future for the Criminal Law?

Methods of Delivery

Lectures, seminars, student presentations, group discussions, individual and group tutorials, assignments and project supervisions.

Assessment

 

The final grade shall be determined based on the performance of students in the following activities:

·       Class Participation…5%

·       Tests …20%

·       Student Presentations…15%

·       Assignments / Project/ Essays…15%

·       Quiz…5%

·       Final Exam…50%

 

                        References

·       Dejene Girma Janka, Ethiopian Criminal Law Handbook

 

·       Philippe Graven, An Introduction to Ethiopian Penal Code, Addis Ababa, 1965

·       Lowenstein Stephen, Materials for Study of the Penal Law of Ethiopia, 1965

·       Wayne R. Lafave, Criminal Law,West Publishing Co.2003

·       C.M.V. Clarkson and H.M. Keating, Criminal Law, Fourth Edition, 1999

·       Andrew Ashworth, Principles of Criminal Law, 5th Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2006

·       J.C. Smith and Hogen, Criminal Law, 1992

·       Andargatchew Tesfaye, The Crime Problem and its Correction, Vol. II 2004

·       Friedmann.W, Law in Changing Society, 2nd Edition, Sweet & Maxwell Ltd., UK, 2003

·       Graven, J., The Penal Code of The Empire of Ethiopia, JEL Vol.I, No.2, 1964

·       Strauss, PL., Interpreting the Ethiopian Penal Code, JEL Vol.5, No.2, 1965

·       Lowenstein, S., The Penal System of Ethiopia, JEL Vol. II, No.2, 1965

·       Skir, R., Desire, Knowledge and Certainty, JEL Vol. VIII, No.2, 1972

·       Fasil, N., Punishment and Society: A Developmental Approach, JEL Vol. I, No. 2, 1982