Criminal Justice in America: Constitutionalization Without Foundation

12 Pages Posted: 18 Mar 2012

See all articles by Markus D. Dubber

Markus D. Dubber

University of Toronto - Faculty of Law

Date Written: March 16, 2012

Abstract

Criminal justice in America lacks foundation in three senses: historical, political, and substantive. The U.S. Constitution will continue to fail to place meaningful limits on American penal power without a radical reconceptualization of the challenge of state punishment in a modern democracy, i.e., ultimately as a fundamental question of political legitimacy. This paper explores the prospects for a constitutionalization of American criminal law, with some comparative glances at developments in other countries, notably Canada and Germany.

Keywords: criminal law, constitutional law, comparative law, legal theory

JEL Classification: K10, K14, K30

Suggested Citation

Dubber, Markus D., Criminal Justice in America: Constitutionalization Without Foundation (March 16, 2012). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2024942 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2024942

Markus D. Dubber (Contact Author)

University of Toronto - Faculty of Law ( email )

78 and 84 Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C5
Canada

HOME PAGE: http://www.law.utoronto.ca/faculty-staff/full-time-faculty/markus-dubber

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