Criminal Law

This course considers the basic themes of substantive criminal law, including criminal responsibility, the significance of act, intent, causation and result, justification and excuse, and the rationale of punishment. General doctrinal principles of the criminal law and illustrative crimes are studied, usually including the following topics: defenses, insanity, attempts, conspiracy, and aspects of the law of homicide and rape. The course considers also constitutional principles of criminal justice. Among the topics that may be studied are search and seizure, the privilege against compulsory self-incrimination, the right to counsel, plea-bargaining, aspects of trial, and sentencing.