Criminal Liability For Serious Traffic Offences: Essays On Causing Death, Injury And Danger In Traffic (governance & Recht)

The criminal law on serious traffic offenses presents legislators with numerous controversial issues. One such issue is when severe consequences are matched with low moral culpability. How should the law deal with a driver who kills someone because she failed to see the person when looking? Another controversial issue concerns highly culpable behavior that remains without serious consequences. How should the law cope with a driver who nearly kills someone when overtaking recklessly? The traffic context generates many hard cases that call the outermost boundaries of general doctrinal concepts like intent, negligence, or causation into question. This book contains an international collection of essays on criminal liability for serious traffic offenses. With a focus on England/Wales, the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Spain, the book reveals that there are enormous differences in both drafting and interpretation of serious traffic offenses. Additionally, it elaborates on the role of culpability and harm in sentencing, traffic-psychological insights relevant to accident causation, and the concept of conditional intent in relation to extremely dangerous traffic behavior. [Subject: Criminal Law, Traffic Law, Comparative Law] Machine Generated Contents Note: 1.1. Introduction / Alwin Van Dijk / Hein Wolswijk -- 1.2. The Complex Legislative Choices Underlying The Criminalization Of Serious Traffic Offences / Alwin Van Dijk / Hein Wolswijk -- 1.2.1. The Many Variables Involved In Drafting Serious Traffic Offences / Alwin Van Dijk / Hein Wolswijk -- 1.2.2. Some Essential Legislative Issues / Alwin Van Dijk / Hein Wolswijk -- 1.2.3. Conclusion / Alwin Van Dijk / Hein Wolswijk -- 1.3. The Complex Interpretative Questions Emerging In Traffic Cases / Alwin Van Dijk / Hein Wolswijk -- 1.4. Outline / Alwin Van Dijk / Hein Wolswijk -- 2.1. Introduction / Hein Wolswijk -- 2.2. Some General Characteristics Of Dutch Criminal Law / Hein Wolswijk -- 2.3. An Overview Of Dutch Criminal Traffic Law / Hein Wolswijk -- 2.3.1. Traffic Offences Involving No Harm (conduct Offences) / Hein Wolswijk -- Specific Traffic Regulations / Hein Wolswijk -- General Traffic Provision / Hein Wolswijk -- Driving Under Influence / Hein Wolswijk 2.3.2. Intentional Offences / Hein Wolswijk -- The Concept Of Intent / Hein Wolswijk -- Intentional Offences And Dangerous Driving / Hein Wolswijk -- 2.3.3. Negligent Homicide And Negligently Causing Serious Injury In Traffic / Hein Wolswijk -- Legal Framework; Core Provisions / Hein Wolswijk -- The Concept Of Negligence / Hein Wolswijk -- 2.4. The Lower Limit Of Negligence / Hein Wolswijk -- 2.4.1. General Approach To Establish Negligence / Hein Wolswijk -- 2.4.2. Categories Of Punishable Negligence / Hein Wolswijk -- 2.5. The Boundary Between Plain Negligence And Recklessness / Hein Wolswijk -- 2.5.1. Introduction Of Recklessness As A Form Of Negligence / Hein Wolswijk -- 2.5.2. Meaning Of Recklessness / Hein Wolswijk -- 2.6. Gaps In Dutch Criminal Traffic Law? / Hein Wolswijk -- 2.6.1. Harmful Consequences And Mens Rea / Hein Wolswijk -- 2.6.2. Causing A Serious Accident By Culpa Levis / Hein Wolswijk -- 2.6.3. Dangerous Traffic Behaviour Without (serious) Consequences / Hein Wolswijk -- 2.7. Conclusion / Hein Wolswijk -- Bibliography / Hein Wolswijk 3.1. Introduction / Sally Kyd Cunningham -- 3.2. Common Law Homicide Offences / Sally Kyd Cunningham -- 3.2.1. Murder / Sally Kyd Cunningham -- 3.2.2. Manslaughter / Sally Kyd Cunningham -- 3.3. Statutory Causing Death By Driving Offences / Sally Kyd Cunningham -- 3.3.1. Causing Death By Dangerous Driving (cddd) / Sally Kyd Cunningham -- 3.3.2. Causing Death By Careless Driving (cdcd) / Sally Kyd Cunningham -- 3.3.3. Causing Death By Careless Driving Whilst Under The Influence Of Drink Or Drugs (cdcdui) / Sally Kyd Cunningham -- 3.3.4. Causing Death By Driving Whilst Uninsured, Unlicensed Or Disqualified (cdud) / Sally Kyd Cunningham -- 3.4. Serious Non-fatal Driving Offences / Sally Kyd Cunningham -- 3.4.1. Causing Serious Injury By Dangerous Driving (csidd) / Sally Kyd Cunningham -- 3.5. Causation / Sally Kyd Cunningham -- 3.6. Police Investigations, The Cps And The Role Of The Bereaved / Sally Kyd Cunningham -- 3.7. Conclusion / Sally Kyd Cunningham -- Bibliography / Sally Kyd Cunningham -- 4.1. Introduction: Relevant Background / Marie-aimée Brajeux 4.1.1. General Background: Civil Law And Codification / Marie-aimée Brajeux -- 4.1.2. Driving-related Offences: The Legislative Background / Marie-aimée Brajeux -- 4.1.2.1. Sensitisation / Marie-aimée Brajeux -- 4.1.2.2. Prevention / Marie-aimée Brajeux -- 4.1.2.3. Repression / Marie-aimée Brajeux -- 4.1.3. Towards Legislative Overkill? / Marie-aimée Brajeux -- 4.2. Liability For Serious Driving Offences / Marie-aimée Brajeux -- 4.2.1. Offences For Involuntary Manslaughter And Involuntarily Causing Injury / Marie-aimée Brajeux -- 4.2.1.1. The Substantive Offences / Marie-aimée Brajeux -- 4.2.1.2. The Aggravating Scale / Marie-aimée Brajeux -- 4.2.2. Fault And Causation In French Criminal Law: Complementary Concepts / Marie-aimée Brajeux -- 4.2.2.1. Fault And Causation In French Criminal Law / Marie-aimée Brajeux -- Fault / Marie-aimée Brajeux -- Causation / Marie-aimée Brajeux -- 4.2.2.2. Fault And Causation: Uncomfortable Bed Fellows Or Nuanced Complementarity? / Marie-aimée Brajeux -- 4.2.3. Fault And Causation In Serious Driving Offences: Creating A Severe Regime Of Liability / Marie-aimée Brajeux 4.2.3.1. Causation In Serious Driving Offences / Marie-aimée Brajeux -- 4.2.3.2. 'faute Simple' And Quasi-automatic Liability / Marie-aimée Brajeux -- 4.3. Sentencing And Serious Driving Offences: A Mitigating Factor? / Marie-aimée Brajeux -- Bibliography / Marie-aimée Brajeux -- 5.1. Introduction / Ingke Goeckenjan -- 5.2. Some Background Information / Ingke Goeckenjan -- 5.3. Overview Of The Provisions Relevant To Serious Traffic Crime / Ingke Goeckenjan -- 5.4. Specifics Of German Law Concerning Serious Traffic Offences / Ingke Goeckenjan -- 5.4.1. Conditional Intent To Kill In Cases Of Very Dangerous Driving / Ingke Goeckenjan -- 5.4.2. Requirements For Negligent Homicide In The Context Of Road Traffic / Ingke Goeckenjan -- 5.5. Conclusions / Ingke Goeckenjan -- Bibliography / Ingke Goeckenjan -- 6.1. Introduction / Manuel Cancio Meliá / Mariona Llobet Angli -- 6.2. Basic Elements Of Substantive Criminal Law: Traffic Offences Under Spanish Law / Manuel Cancio Meliá / Mariona Llobet Angli -- 6.2.1. Endangerment Offences / Mariona Llobet Angli / Manuel Cancio Meliá -- 6.2.2. Crimes With Concrete Results / Manuel Cancio Meliá / Mariona Llobet Angli 6.3. Reorientation Towards Prevention And Control Of The Courts' Interpretation: Abstract Danger And The Harm Principle / Manuel Cancio Meliá / Mariona Llobet Angli -- 6.4. Conclusions: 'the Hen Or The Egg' And Penal Populism / Manuel Cancio Meliá / Mariona Llobet Angli -- Relevant Provisions In The Spanish Criminal Code* / Mariona Llobet Angli / Manuel Cancio Meliá -- Bibliography / Manuel Cancio Meliá / Mariona Llobet Angli -- 7.1. Introduction / Marius Duker -- 7.2. Comparing The Relevant Offences / Marius Duker -- 7.2.1. Endangerment Offences / Marius Duker -- 7.2.2. Causing Death Or (serious) Injury By Driving / Marius Duker -- 7.2.3. Conclusion / Marius Duker -- 7.3. Sentencing Guidelines / Marius Duker -- 7.3.1. Importance Of Sentencing Guidelines In General / Marius Duker -- 7.3.2. Guidelines For Endangerment Offences / Marius Duker -- 7.3.3. Guidelines For Causing Death Or Injury By Driving / Marius Duker -- 7.3.4. Illustrative Casuistry / Marius Duker -- 7.3.5. Conclusion / Marius Duker -- 7.4. More Consistent Standardization In Punishing Behaviour And Consequence / Marius Duker 7.5. Efficacy As A Benchmark For More Balanced Sentencing / Marius Duker -- 7.5.1. Sentencing Practice And Scientific Research As A Basis For Policy / Marius Duker -- 7.5.2. How Can Criminal Law Effectively Contribute To Road Safety? / Marius Duker -- 7.5.3. Indifference As A Sentence-determining Factor For A More Balanced Policy / Marius Duker -- 7.5.4. Custody Threshold / Marius Duker -- 7.6. Conclusion / Marius Duker -- Bibliography / Marius Duker -- 8.1. Introduction / Karel Brookhuis -- 8.2. Theoretical Framework / Karel Brookhuis -- 8.3. Human Errors And Support / Karel Brookhuis -- 8.4. Human Habits And Limits / Karel Brookhuis -- 8.5. Human Alertness / Karel Brookhuis -- 8.6. Tentative Conclusion / Karel Brookhuis -- 8.7. Towards A Possible Solution / Karel Brookhuis -- Bibliography / Karel Brookhuis -- 9.1. Prolegomenon / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.1.1. Introduction / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.1.2. The Porsche Case And Its Aftermath / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.1.3. The Cassation Free Zone / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.1.4. Two Sources Of Disparity: Evidentiary Rules And Substantive Law / Alwin Van Dijk 9.1.5. Aim And Relevance Of This Contribution / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.1.6. Outline / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.2. Homicidal Intent In The Context Of Dangerous Traffic Behaviour / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.2.1. Introduction / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.2.2. Why Is Homicidal Intent Ascribed To Dangerous Road Users? / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.2.3. Applicable Offences In Traffic Cases / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.2.4. The Emergence Of Conditional Intent / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.2.5. A Cognitivist, Volitionist And Normativist Theory Of Intent / Alwin Van Dijk -- Introduction / Alwin Van Dijk -- Cognitivist Theory / Alwin Van Dijk -- Volitionist Theory / Alwin Van Dijk -- Normativist Theory / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.2.6. The Supreme Court's View On Conditional Intent / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.2.7. The Porsche Case / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.2.8. Conclusion / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.3. A Cognitivist Analysis Of The Porsche Case / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.3.1. Introduction / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.3.2. Self-preservation Assumption / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.3.3. Danger Perception Assumption / Alwin Van Dijk 9.3.4. Rationality Assumption: Desirability Maximization Theory / Alwin Van Dijk -- Desirability Maximization Theory / Alwin Van Dijk -- Application To The Porsche Case / Alwin Van Dijk -- Applicable In Practice? / Alwin Van Dijk -- Desirability Maximization Theory As A Discussion Tool / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.3.5. Non-awareness Assumption / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.3.6. The Upshot Of The Porsche Case: The Cognitive Element Is Not Fulfilled / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.3.7. The Analytical Connection Between The Cognitive And Volitional Element / Alwin Van Dijk -- 9.3.8. What Can We Say About Volition In The Porsche Case? / Alwin Van Dijk Editors, Alwin Van Dijk, Hein Wolswijk. Based On Papers Presented At A Conference Held September 7, 2012 In Groningen, The Netherlands. Includes Bibliographical References. The criminal law on serious traffic offences is a fascinating area. The traffic context presents legislators with numerous controversial issues. One such issue is when severe consequences are matched with low moral culpability. How should the law deal with a driver who kills someone because she failed to see the person when looking (momentary inattention)? Another controversial issue concerns highly culpable behaviour that remains without serious consequences. How should the law cope with a driver who nearly kills someone when overtaking recklessly? Courts dealing with serious traffic offences face equally difficult questions. The traffic context generates many hard cases that call the outermost boundaries of general doctrinal concepts like intent, negligence or causation into question.This book contains an international collection of essays on criminal liability for serious traffic offences.The essays on the Netherlands, England and Wales, France, Germany and Spain reveal that there are enormous differences in both drafting and interpretation of serious traffic offences. The other essays elaborate respectively on the role of culpability and harm in sentencing, traffic-psychological insights relevant to accident causation and the concept of conditional intent in relation to extremely dangerous traffic behaviour. This book aims to generate valuable insights for legal scholars, legislators and practitioners all over the world