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Series

Legislation

2000

University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Law

Creating And Solving The Problem Of Drug Use During Pregnancy, Dorothy E. Roberts Jan 2000

Creating And Solving The Problem Of Drug Use During Pregnancy, Dorothy E. Roberts

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No abstract provided.


Structuring Criminal Codes To Perform Their Function, Paul H. Robinson Jan 2000

Structuring Criminal Codes To Perform Their Function, Paul H. Robinson

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This paper argues that criminal codes have two distinct functions. First, a code must ex ante announce the rules of conduct. Second, it must set out the principles of for adjudicating, ex post, violations of those rules. These two functions often are in tension with one another. Each calls for a different kind of code, addressed to a different audience, with different objectives: To be effective ex ante, the rules of conduct must be formulated in a way that they will be understood, remembered, and able to be applied in daily life by lay persons with a wide range of …


The Five Worst (And Five Best) American Criminal Codes, Paul H. Robinson, Michael T. Cahill, Usman Mohammad Jan 2000

The Five Worst (And Five Best) American Criminal Codes, Paul H. Robinson, Michael T. Cahill, Usman Mohammad

All Faculty Scholarship

Each American jurisdiction has a criminal code. Most jurisdictions have substantially restructured and improved their codes since 1962, when the American Law Institute first promulgated its Model Penal Code. Such reform efforts are worthwhile, especially in criminal law, because many advantages flow from the thoughtful codification of criminal law rules. By compiling all criminal rules in a single comprehensive source, codification makes access to these rules easier, increasing the chance that citizens will know what the criminal law commands. A codified rule has the advantage of increased precision, which is likely to increase the uniformity of its application. Uncodified rules--or, …