Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Nulla Poena Sine Lege Parlamentaria? Democratic Legitimacy and European Penal Law

Gröning, Linda LU (2007) p.185-205
Abstract

Introduction: Questioning the Democratic Legitimacy of European Penal Law In Western political systems it is elemental that legislation must have a democratic source in order to be legitimate. Above all, democratic legitimacy is regarded as important with reference to penal legislation, since penal power is paradigmatically the most intrusive form of political power. Therefore, it is generally acknowledged that punishment should be based on law enacted by a parliament, or at least that the parliament must be the principal, and in case of delegation, also the final legislative organ (nulla poena sine lege parlamentaria).2 Hence, within penal law, democratic legitimacy is usually considered as intimately connected to parliamentary... (More)

Introduction: Questioning the Democratic Legitimacy of European Penal Law In Western political systems it is elemental that legislation must have a democratic source in order to be legitimate. Above all, democratic legitimacy is regarded as important with reference to penal legislation, since penal power is paradigmatically the most intrusive form of political power. Therefore, it is generally acknowledged that punishment should be based on law enacted by a parliament, or at least that the parliament must be the principal, and in case of delegation, also the final legislative organ (nulla poena sine lege parlamentaria).2 Hence, within penal law, democratic legitimacy is usually considered as intimately connected to parliamentary majority decisions. However, some changes in contemporary penal law seem problematic with regard to the traditional claim of a parliamentary anchorage of penal legislation. Penal law is partly loosening its traditional foundation in the sovereign state due to a growing regulation of penal law at the international level. This development is most 1 ‘A Second Letter concerning Toleration’, in The Works of John Locke (London, 1963; org. ed. 1823), Vol. VI, p. 112.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Legislation in Context : Essays in Legisprudence - Essays in Legisprudence
pages
21 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:85144384920
ISBN
9781317105947
9781315592138
DOI
10.4324/9781315592138-14
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
cb3822a8-8b44-400f-9152-3476e38153dd
date added to LUP
2023-02-08 16:15:10
date last changed
2024-01-14 06:21:19
@inbook{cb3822a8-8b44-400f-9152-3476e38153dd,
  abstract     = {{<p>Introduction: Questioning the Democratic Legitimacy of European Penal Law In Western political systems it is elemental that legislation must have a democratic source in order to be legitimate. Above all, democratic legitimacy is regarded as important with reference to penal legislation, since penal power is paradigmatically the most intrusive form of political power. Therefore, it is generally acknowledged that punishment should be based on law enacted by a parliament, or at least that the parliament must be the principal, and in case of delegation, also the final legislative organ (nulla poena sine lege parlamentaria).2 Hence, within penal law, democratic legitimacy is usually considered as intimately connected to parliamentary majority decisions. However, some changes in contemporary penal law seem problematic with regard to the traditional claim of a parliamentary anchorage of penal legislation. Penal law is partly loosening its traditional foundation in the sovereign state due to a growing regulation of penal law at the international level. This development is most 1 ‘A Second Letter concerning Toleration’, in The Works of John Locke (London, 1963; org. ed. 1823), Vol. VI, p. 112.</p>}},
  author       = {{Gröning, Linda}},
  booktitle    = {{Legislation in Context : Essays in Legisprudence}},
  isbn         = {{9781317105947}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{185--205}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  title        = {{Nulla Poena Sine Lege Parlamentaria? Democratic Legitimacy and European Penal Law}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315592138-14}},
  doi          = {{10.4324/9781315592138-14}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}