The first volume of a three volume series which presents a set of common foundational concepts in criminal law and criminal justice. The series focuses on a comparison between Anglo-American and German concepts, doctrines, principles and structures.

Criminal law and criminal justice are becoming increasingly globalised. There is a growing desire to develop common approaches to common problems and to learn from the diversity of current practice in different countries. This development has been reinforced by the internationalisation of criminal justice in international and mixed criminal tribunals. However, attempts at trans-jurisdictional discourse are often hampered by mutual misunderstandings. Professionals and academics engaged in comparative criminal law sometimes use the same terms with different meanings or different terms which mean the same thing.

If we are to overcome these obstacles, we need to engage in a multijurisdictional and comparative conceptual analysis of a kind not provided by previous comparative projects, which typically focus on specific topics or issues. This volume looks for a set of common foundational concepts that could provide the basis for productive trans-jurisdictional exchanges. It provides insight on key topics such as the offences against property, liability for attempts, cyber-crime, the presumption of innocence, the role of victims, and wrongful convictions. It includes contributions from distinguished scholars with international reputations, from a diversity of backgrounds and including theoretical and normative as well as empirical focuses.

Stefanie Bock is Professor of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, International Criminal Law and Comparative Law at the Philipps University, Marburg, Germany.
Matthew Dyson is Professor of Civil and Criminal Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Oxford, and Tutorial Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, UK.
Julian V Roberts is Professor of Criminology at the University of Oxford and Fellow of Worcester College, UK.
Jenia Turner is Amy Abboud Ware Centennial Professor in Criminal Law at SMU Dedman School of Law, USA.