Criminal Law Web

German Criminal Law
Selected Cases & Materials



General     
        Dubber/Hörnle, Criminal Law: A Comparative Perspective (2014)
                Collection of primary and secondary materials on German criminal law in English translation, including cases, statutes, etc., with notes and comments
Foundational Texts
        German Criminal Code (StGB)
                Alternative Draft (Alternativ-Entwurf) (AE 1966) (HeinOnline) (German)
                Imperial Criminal Code (RStGB) 1871 (German) (English translation) (1885)
                Prussian Criminal Code (PrStGB) 1851 (German)

        Immanuel Kant
                Metaphysics of Morals, Rechtlehre (1796)
        
        PJA Feuerbach
                Lehrbuch des gemeinen in Deutschland geltenden peinlichen Rechts (1st ed. 1801)
                        Textbook of the Common Penal Law in Force in Germany (English translation) (excerpts) (based on 13th ed. 1840) [source: Foundational Texts in Modern Criminal Law (2014)]
                Narratives of Remarkable Criminal Trials (trans. 1846)

        GWF Hegel
                Philosophy of Right §§ 90-103 (1821)
         
        Birnbaum                 
                Ueber das Erforderniß einer Rechtsverletzung zum Begriffe des Verbrechens (1834)
                        Concerning the Need for a Right Violation in the Concept of a Crime ... (English translation) (excerpts) [source: Foundational Texts in Modern Criminal Law (2014)]

        Köstlin
                System des deutschen Strafrechts (Allgemeiner Teil) (1855)

        Liszt
                Der Zweckgedanke im Strafrecht (1882)

        Merkel
                Lehrbuch des deutschen Strafrechts (1889)

        Gustav Radbruch
                Der Ursprung des Strafrechts aus dem Stande der Unfreien (1938)
                        The Origin of Criminal Law in the Status of the Unfree (English translation) [source: Foundational Texts in Modern Criminal Law (2014)]

        Günther Jakobs
                Bürgerstrafrecht und Feindstrafrecht, 2004 HRRS 88
                Zur Theorie des Feindstrafrechts, in Henning Rosenau & Sanyun Kim (eds.), Straftheorie und Strafgerechtigkeit 167-82 (2010)
                        On the Enemy Theory of Criminal Law (English Translation) [source: Foundational Texts in Modern Criminal Law (2014)]
Preliminary

        Criminal Law Science
                Dubber, The Promise of German Criminal Law: A Science of Crime and Punishment
                Dubber, New Legal Science in the Dual Penal State (German)

        Theories of Punishment
                Dubber/Hörnle, ch. 1
                Dubber, Theories of Crime and Punishment in German Criminal Law

        Jurisdiction
                Dubber/Hörnle, ch. 4
                Federal Court of Justice (BGH) Convicts Foreigner for Internet Posted Incitement to Racial Hatred
                Dubber, Criminal Jurisdiction and Conceptions of Penality in Comparative Perspective

        Legality Principle (nulla poena sine lege)
                Dubber/Hörnle, ch. 2
                General
                        Dubber, The Legality Principle in American and German Criminal Law
                Prospectivity (ex post facto)
                        Border Guard Case, BGHSt 39, 1 (Fed. Ct. Just. 1992) [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 2, at 76]
                Specificity (Void-for-Vagueness)
                        BVerfGE 87, 209 (“Dance of the Devils” Case) [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 2, at 92]
General Part
        
        (Voluntary) Acts
                Dubber/Hörnle ch. 7
                General
                        OLG Hamm, 4 Ss 942/78, NJW 1979, 438 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 7, at 191]
                        OLG Hamm, 5 Ss 331/74, NJW 1975, 657 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 7, at 192]
                Possession
                        Dubber/Hörnle ch. 7.C
                        OLG Zweibrücken, 1 Ss 171/81, AnwBl. 1983, 126 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 7, at 202]
                Omission
                        BGHSt 48, 301 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 7, at 214]
                        BGHSt 30, 391 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 7, at 215]
                        BGHSt 23, 327 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 7, at 217]

        Intent/Negligence
                BGHSt 7, 363 (Leather Strap Case) [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 7, at 229]
                BGH, 2 StR 239/02, NStZ 2003, 657 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 7, at 232]

        Mistake
                Fact
                        BGH, 3 StR 358/02, StV 2003, 393 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 7, at 262]
                        BGHSt 37, 214 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 7, at 262]
                Law
                        BGHSt 39, 1 (Border Guard Case) [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 7, at 273]

        Intoxication
                BGHSt 37, 231 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 7, at 280]
                BGHSt 49, 239 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 7, at 281]

        Causation
                BGHSt 37, 106 (Leather Spray Case) [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 7, at 293]

        Complicity
                Dubber/Hörnle ch. 10
                        BGHSt 11, 268 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 7, at 309]
                        BGHSt 18, 87 (Staschynskij Case) [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 7, at 310]
                        BGHSt 40, 218 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 7, at 314]
                Dubber, Criminalizing Complicity: A Comparative Analysis
                Dubber, The Dual Penal State: The Crisis of Criminal Law in Comparative-Historical Perspective ch. 2.D (2018) (Roxin's Tatherrschaft) (German)

        Corporate Criminal Liability
                Dubber/Hörnle, ch. 11
                Dubber, The Comparative History and Theory of Corporate Criminal Liability

        Inchoate Offences
                Dubber/Hörnle ch. 12
                Attempt
                        BGHSt 43, 177 (Bärwurz Case) [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 12, at 347]
                Conspiracy
                        BGHSt 12, 306 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 12, at 362]
                        BGH, 3 StR 233/04, NJW 2005, 1668 (Landser Case) [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 11, at 364]
                Renunciation
                        BGHSt 35, 184 379 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 12, at 379]

        Self-Defense
                Dubber/Hörnle ch. 13.A
                        BGH, 4 StR 505/86, NStZ 1987, 172 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 13, at 399]
                        BGH, 3 StR 503/01, NStZ-RR 2002, 203 (Family Tyrant Case) [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 13, at 400]
                        LG Frankfurt am Main, NJW 2005, 692 (Daschner Case) [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 11, at 402]

        Necessity
                Dubber/Hörnle ch. 13.B
                        BGHSt 48, 255 429 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 13, at 429]
                        BGHSt 35, 347 (King of the Cats Case) [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 13, at 433]
                        BVerfGE 115, 118 (Aviation Security Act Case) [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 13, at 435] [also]
                                Hörnle, Hijacked Airplaines: May They Be Shut Down?

        Consent
                Dubber/Hörnle ch. 13.C
                        BGHSt 49, 166 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 13, at 465]

        Law Enforcement
                Dubber/Hörnle ch. 13.D
                        BGH, 2 StR 82/04, NStZ 2005, 31 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 13, at 477]

        Duress
                Dubber/Hörnle ch. 14.A
                        BGHSt 5, 371 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 14, at 487]

        Entrapment
                Dubber/Hörnle ch. 14.B
                        BGHSt 45, 321 497 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 14, at 497]

        Insanity
                Dubber/Hörnle ch. 14.C
                        BGH, 2 StR 707/94, StV 1995, 405 510 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 14, at 487]

        Reasonableness
                Hörnle, Social Expectations in the Criminal Law: The "Reasonable Person" in a Comparative Perspective

        Sentencing
                Dubber/Hörnle, ch. 1
                General
                        Streng, Sentencing in Germany: Basic Questions and New Developments
                Preventative Detention
                        M. v. Germany, app. no. 19359/04, 17 Dec. 2009 (Eur. Ct. Hum. Rts.)
                        Dünkel & van Zyl Smit, Preventive Detention of Dangerous Offenders Re-examined
Special Part

        Constitutional Limits
                Dubber/Hörnle, ch. 3
                Cannabis Case, BVerfGE 90, 145 (Fed. Const. Ct. 1994)
                Dubber, Policing Morality: Constitutional Law and the Criminalization of Incest

        Rechtsgut Principle
                Dubber/Hörnle, ch. 3.B
                        BVerfGE 39, 1 (Abortion Case) [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 3, at 120]
                        BVerfGE 120, 224 (Incest Case) [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 3, at 123]
                Dubber, Theories of Crime and Punishment in German Criminal Law

        Homicide
                Dubber/Hörnle ch. 15
                Murder (StGB § 211)
                        BGH, 1 StR 49/93, NJW 1993, 1664 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 15, at 534]
                        BGHSt 23, 119 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 15, at 535]
                        The Cannibal of Rotenburg, BGHSt 50, 80 (Fed. Ct. Just. 2005) [pp. 684-87]
                Manslaughter
                        BGH, 4 StR 48/04, NStZ 2004, 500 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 15, at 558]
                        BGHSt 36, 1 (AIDS Case) [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 15, at 566] 
                Negligent Homicide
                        BGHSt 24, 31 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 15, at 577]

        Reckless Endangerment
                BGHSt 39, 322 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 15, at 589]

        Stalking
                BGHSt 54, 189 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 15, at 596]

        Rape and Sexual Assault
                BGHSt 44, 228 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 16, at 608]

        Holocaust Denial (StGB § 130)
                Dubber/Hörnle, ch. 17.A
                        BGHSt 46, 212 (Töben Case) [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 17, at 621]
                Federal Court of Justice (BGH) Convicts Foreigner for Internet Posted Incitement to Racial Hatred

        Rechtsbeugung (“Bending the Law”)
                Dubber/Hörnle ch. 17.B
                        BGH, 1 StR 201/09, NStZ 2010, 92 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 17, at 635]
                        BGH, 5 StR 94/96, NStZ-RR 1997, 36 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 17, at 636]

        Incest (StGB § 173)
                Dubber/Hörnle, ch. 3.B
                        BVerfGE 120, 224 (Incest Case) [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 3, at 123]
                Dubber, Policing Morality: Constitutional Law and the Criminalization of Incest
                                  
        Money Laundering (StGB § 261)
                Dubber/Hörnle, ch. 17.C
                        BVerfGE 110, 226 [Dubber/Hörnle ch. 17, at 650]
                Bussenius, Money Laundering by Defence Counsel

Procedure

        Plea Bargaining
                Dubber/Hörnle, ch. 5.D
                BGHSt 50, 40 (Fed. Ct. Just. 2005) [pp. 700-05]
                Dubber, American Plea Bargains, German Lay Judges, and the Crisis of Criminal Procedure
                Weigend & Turner, The Constitutionality of Negotiated Criminal Judgments in Germany