Criminal Laws

This major new text examines the core features of criminal law in all Australian jurisdictions. It builds upon the trend of recent High Court decisions to provide national solutions that will work so far as possible in all Australian jurisdictions, whether code or common law. Professor David Lanham and his co-authors at Melbourne Law School cover both general principles and specific offences. The latter include murder, manslaughter, abortion and euthanasia, assaults, threats, bodily harm and endangerment offences, sexual offences, theft and larceny, false pretences and deception, and offences involving financial advantage, benefits and detriments. There is significant novelty in the very close analysis of the central role played by defences in assessing criminality. This is accompanied by detailed discussion of general topics such as the different forms of criminal liability, and preliminary crimes such as attempts, incitement and conspiracy. There is also a chapter on accomplices, including aiding and abetting, innocent agency, and acting in concert and causation as a basis of joint liability. Three additional introductory chapters - What is a Crime? The Purposes of Criminal Law, and The Anatomy of a Crime - intended particularly for students, are available electronically. See Supplements below.