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• The Problem of Defining Criminal Norms Precisely. The „Clarity of Norms” Doctrine in the Decisions of the Hungarian Constitutional Court and in Judicial Practice

  37-59

  Krisztina Ficsor

  Views:

  459

  The principles of legality in criminal law determine numerous requirements both for the legislator creating criminal statutes and for judges as well who decide criminal cases. One of the most important demands of legality is the principle of maximum certainty according to which the state must establish a system of criminal law in which the wording of the statutes are clear, precise and understandable for the citizens; and judges are able to interpret criminal rules without making arbitrary decisions. In the Hungarian legal system the demands of maximum certainty are represented by the principle of nullum crimen sine lege. This principle is called the „clarity of norms” doctrine in the practice of the Constitutional Court of Hungary (HCC) which is entitled to strike down criminal statutes which do not meet its requirements. The aim of this paper is to argue for the claim that the „clarity of norms doctrine” and the concept of certainty in criminal law is based mostly on considerations about the plain meaning of words and texts and lack a coherent theoretical background in the decisions of the HCC and in judicial practice as well. The author offers a more complex and coherent conception of certainty stating that its requirements relate not only to linguistic considerations but also to thinking over the moral and political values of criminal law as well.

• Theoretical Aspects of "Green Criminal Law”

  77-90

  Krisztina Ficsor

  Views:

  177

  A major issue of legal theory today is to explore the problems raised by the so-called “green criminal law” or „green criminology.” Serious environmental disasters and the harmful effects of climate change also imply a rethinking of the established system and conceptual features of criminal law. Despite the European Union's efforts to develop environmental criminal law, the question arises as to whether criminal law can be seen as having an environmental function, and whether criminal law is suitable for protecting the environment. Recently there have been problems of effectiveness in the regulation of environmental criminal law at European and national level, and a new EU directive had to be adopted because the previous one had proved ineffective in achieving environmental objectives. It is therefore important to go deep inside the theoretical foundations that can provide a coherent explanation for the ineffectiveness of environmental criminal law and environmental regulation in general, and to find a justificatory framework that can justify the obligation to comply with these norms.

• Questions of divisions of powers in the 21st century after the adoption of the new Fundamental Law of Hungary

  24-37

  Csaba Cservák

  Views:

  438

  The question of division of state powers is a crucial part of constitutional law determining how state organs work (or should work) in theory and in practice. After the adoption of the new Fundamental Law of Hungary, there are some modifications in the Hungarian constitutional system, including the division of powers as well. In this study we examine the original model of “3 branches of power – 1-1 function” as a starting point, and the other factors and branches which can modify the original model. In the study we try to focus to the examples of the former and present Hungarian legal system as certain proves of our theory about the new frameworks of division of powers in Hungary. In the end of this study we also examine, as an indirect argumentation, the opposite side of the separation of powers, i.e. concentration of powers.

• Legal–Sociological Analysis of a Scottish Judicial Decision

  88-104

  Zsolt Nagy

  Views:

  184

  In this essay I have attempted to show the Scottish tradition of criminal law and attitudes of legal profession and the whole Scottish society about the crimes trough one case. This criminal case was held before the Scottish criminal appeal court in 1989, where for the first time, a man could be guilty under the Scottish law of raping his wife while the couple lived together. This was a point that could show the flexibility of Scottish law while the english law was either unwilling or unable to make a change.

  This case shows us that the judges in Scotland claim to represent the social attitudes through legal devices but this representation is not almost uncountable because the courts attempt to operate within the basically conservative traditions. Parallel of the above mentioned the courts try to use the alternative histories of law and the voices of practical lawyers, legal doctrines through the conflicting interpretations in order to make right decisions.