Checking date: 16/06/2025 21:46:23


Course: 2025/2026

Fundamental rights and criminal law
(12517)
Master in Criminal and Criminal Procedural Law (Plan: 450 - Estudio: 275)
EPD


Coordinating teacher: VILLALBA LOPEZ, NOEL

Department assigned to the subject: Criminal Law, Procedural Law and History Law Department

Type: Compulsory
ECTS Credits: 3.0 ECTS

Course:
Semester:




Requirements (Subjects that are assumed to be known)
-Constitution and the sources of Law (or analogous) -Constitucional organization of the State (or analogous) -Public liberties and constitutional rights (or analogous) -Criminal Law, General Part and Special Part
Objectives
This subject aims to lecture students in the relevance of fundamental rights for the creation and application of Criminal law in Spain. To this end, the content, structure and jurisprudential recognition of the Criminal law principles enshrined as fundamental rights in the Spanish Constitution are studied in depth, as well as the interpretative guidelines for applying Criminal law precepts in accordance with fundamental rights and to maximize their heffectiveness. This subject is fully in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, mainly related to goal 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
Learning Outcomes
Description of contents: programme
Module 1. Fundamental rights and Criminal law (1 sessions) a. Criminal law and principles of Criminal law b. Fundamental rights c. Criminal law and fundamental rights: normative and institutional perspective Module 2. The fundamental right to criminal legality (3 sessions) a. Principle of legality and the fundamental right legality in Criminal law b. Fundamental right to legality in Criminal law: non-delegable legislation, (ir)retroactivity, mandate of certainty, judicial subjection lo law Module 3. The principle of criminal proportionality (2 sessions) a. Proportionality, principle of proportionality, weighing b. Principle of proportionality in Criminal law: constitutional enbodiment, criteria, problems Module 4. The fundamental right to ne bis in idem (2 sessions) a. Bis in idem: concept and constitutional enbodiment b. Formal and material manifestations Module 5. The principle of culpability (1 session) a. Culpability and the principle of culpability b. The principle of criminal culpability: criteria Module 6. Humanity of punishment (1 session) a. Historical development b. Basis, limitation and manifestations c. Comparative perspective d. Reconstruction Module 7. Resocialisation and equality (1 session) a. Resocialisation: concept, models and critiques b. The Spanish case: regulation and constitutional jurisprudence c. Premises, pillars and content. Comparative perspective d. Equality: concept and manifestations e. Criminal relevance and practical application Module 8. Fundamental rights and aplication of Special Part (1 session) a. Absence of prohibition due to exercise of fundamental rights b. Chilling effect
Learning activities and methodology
Exposition of theoretical material, seminars with invited speakers/experts, practical cases analysis.
Assessment System
  • % end-of-term-examination/test 100
  • % of continuous assessment (assigments, laboratory, practicals...) 0




Basic Bibliography
  • BARENBOIM/HICKEY/SILKENAT (eds.). The Legal Doctrines of the Rule of Law and the Legal State. Springer. 2014
  • CARBONELL MATEU/CUERDA ARNAU/GONZÁLEZ CUSSAC/ORTS BERENGUER. Constitución, derechos fundamentales y sistema penal (semblanzas y estudios con motivo del setenta aniversario del profesor Tomás Salvador Vives Antón). Tirant Lo Blanch. 2009
  • CARBONELL/GONZÁLEZ CUSSAC y otros. Constitución, Derechos fundamentales y sistema penal, Libro Homenaje a Tomás Vives,. Tirant Lo Blanch. 2009
  • CORCOY BIDASOLO/MIR PUIG. Constitución y sistema penal. Marcial Pons. 2012
  • CORCOY BIDASOLO/MIR PUIG (dirs.). Constitución y sistema penal. Marcial Pons. 2012
  • GALLARDO CASTILLO. Los principios de la potestad sancionadora: teoría y práctica. Iustel. 2008
  • LAMARCA PÉREZ. Legalidad penal y reserva de ley en la Constitución española. Revista Española de Derecho Constitucional. 1987
  • LASCURAÍN SÁNCHEZ/RUSCONI. El principio de proporcionalidad penal. Ad Hoc. 2014
  • MIR PUIG. Bases constitucionales del Derecho penal. Iustel. 2011
  • MIR PUIG/QUERALT JIMÉNEZ. Constitución y principios del Derecho penal: algunas bases constitucionales. Tirant lo Blanch. 2010
  • MÍNGUEZ ROSIQUE. Penas crueles e inusuales. El debate sobre los límites constitucionales al castigo en los Estados Unidos. Atelier. 2020
  • ROBLES PLANAS (coord.). Límites al Derecho penal. Principios operativos en la fundamentación del castigo. Atelier. 2012
  • RODRÍGUEZ MONTAÑÉS. Libertad de expresión, discurso extremo y delito (Una aproximación desde la Constitución a las fronteras del derecho penal). Tirant lo blanch. 2012
  • ÁLVAREZ GARCÍA. Sobre el principio de legalidad. Tirant lo Blanch. 2010

The course syllabus may change due academic events or other reasons.