PRESCRIPTION OF THE CRIMINAL OFFENSE IN THE LAW

Abstract

The prescription of a criminal offense in the law is one of the constitutive elements of a criminal offense. In addition to being legally justified, this element represents a logical method of incriminating specific behavior as a criminal offense. It legally embodies the well-known Latin legal saying nullum crimen, nulla poena sine lege, which in translation means there is no crime or punishment without the law. The necessity of prescribing a criminal offense in the law is rooted in legal certainty, which is unattainable without prior knowledge and a clear distinction between permissible and prohibited (incriminated) behavior. Although it has a distant origin, the prescription of a criminal offense in law has often become a convenient tool for political manipulation, particularly through the criminalization of verbal delicts or other offenses against the people and the state. Stricto sensu, authoritarian regimes have applied this principle to secure the appearance of legitimacy and legality for their rule. Consequently, it is essential to examine the prescription of criminal offenses in the law from the perspective of our legislator.

Keywords

• prescription of the criminal act/offense
• objective condition of incrimination
• personal grounds for exclusion of criminality
• social danger