Burchell, JM. Burchell’s Principles of Criminal Law - 6th Edition, Juta, 2025.
ISBN: 9781485152927
About this publication:
This sixth edition of the established work Principles of Criminal Law, now Burchell’s Principles of Criminal Law, includes a number of compelling new features. Written by three specialist authors – Emeritus Professor Jonathan Burchell, Professor P J Schwikkard and Dr Tshepo Bogosi Mosaka – it contains substantially improved chapters on corruption, substance abuse and organized crime, as well as fuller debate on consent to die with dignity. It places greater emphasis on customary law and submissions on mistaken belief in consent in rape cases. There are also new chapters on witchcraft and hate crimes (incorporating hate speech).
This edition contains illuminating analyses of leading judgments:
• Freedom of Religion South Africa v Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development 2020 (1) SACR 113 (CC) (abolishing the defence of disciplinary chastisement)
• Director of Public Prosecutions Eastern Cape v Coko 2024 (2) SACR 113 (SCA) (mistaken belief regarding consent in rape cases)
• S v Tshabalala 2020 (2) SACR 38 (CC) (common purpose to rape)
• Economic Freedom Fighters v Minister of Justice and Correctional Services 2021 (1) SACR 387 (CC) (incitement)
• Moyo v Minister of Police 2020 (1) SACR 373 (CC) (interpretation of the Intimidation Act 72 of 1982)
• Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development v Prince 2018 (6) SA 393 (CC) (decriminalization of the use, possession, and cultivation of cannabis for personal consumption in private)
• Secretary, Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture v Zuma 2021 (5) SA 327 (CC) (civil contempt)
Content:
PART ONE
INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Chapter 1: Definitions, origins and fundamental values of South African criminal justice
PART TWO
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF CRIMINAL LIABILITY
Section A: Overview
Chapter 2 General principles of criminal law in South Africa in outline
Section B: Unlawful conduct (actus reus)
Chapter 3 Introduction
Chapter 4 Voluntary human conduct
Chapter 5 An act of commission or an omission
Chapter 6 Causation
Chapter 7 Unlawfulness
Section C: Defences excluding unlawfulness
Chapter 8 Private defence
Chapter 9 Public authority
Chapter 10 Necessity
Chapter 11 Impossibility
Chapter 12 Obedience to superior orders
Chapter 13 Consent
Chapter 14 Entrapment
Chapter 15 De minimis non curat lex
Chapter 16 Negotiorum gestio (‘unauthorised administration’ or ‘presumed consent’)
Section D: Capacity
Chapter 17 Introduction
Chapter 18 Youth
Chapter 19 Pathological incapacity
Chapter 20 Intoxication
Chapter 21 Provocation and emotional stress
Section E: Fault (mens rea)
Chapter 22 Introduction
Chapter 23 Intention
Chapter 24 Knowledge of unlawfulness—ignorance or mistake of law
Chapter 25 Defences excluding intention
Chapter 26 An assessment of dolus eventualis and the concept of conscious Negligence
Chapter 27 Negligence
Chapter 28 Fault in statutory offences
Chapter 29 The contemporaneity rule
Section F: Special forms of liability
Chapter 30 Vicarious liability
Chapter 31 Criminal liability of corporations
Section G: Participation in crime
Chapter 32 Introduction
Chapter 33 Participation before the completion of the crime
Chapter 34 Participation after the completion of the crime
Section H: Incomplete or inchoate crimes
Chapter 35 Introduction to incomplete or inchoate offences
Chapter 36 Attempts
Chapter 37 Conspiracy
Chapter 38 Incitement
PART THREE
SPECIFIC CRIMES
Section A: Crimes against human life
Chapter 39 Abortion
Chapter 40 Homicide
Section B: Crimes against the person
Chapter 41 Crimes against the person: Introduction
Chapter 42 Assault
Chapter 43 Rape
Chapter 44 Consensual sexual penetration (‘statutory rape’) and consensual sexual assault of children (‘statutory sexual violation) under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act of 2007
Chapter 45 Additional sexual offences
Chapter 46 Defamation
Chapter 47 Crimen iniuria
Chapter 48 Kidnapping
Section C: Crimes against family life
Chapter 49 Offences against family life: Introduction
Chapter 50 Abduction
Chapter 51 Bigamy
Chapter 52 Incest
Section D: Crimes against property
Chapter 53 Introduction
Chapter 54 Theft
Chapter 55 Special forms of theft
Chapter 56 Robbery
Chapter 57 Extortion
Chapter 58 Fraud
Chapter 59 Corruption
Chapter 60 Forgery and uttering
Chapter 61 Malicious damage to property
Chapter 62 Arson Chapter 63 Housebreaking
Section E: Crimes against community interests
Chapter 64 Introduction
Chapter 65 Public violence
Chapter 66 Offences to public decency
Section F: Collective welfare
Chapter 67 Collective welfare: Introduction
Chapter 68 Witchcraft Chapter 69 Road traffic offences
Chapter 70 Substance abuse offences
Section G: Maintenance of the government of the state and the administration of justice
Chapter 71 Maintenance of the government of the state: Introduction
Chapter 72 Treason
Chapter 73 Sedition
Chapter 74 Crimes against the administration of justice: Introduction
Chapter 75 Defeating or obstructing the course of justice
Chapter 76 Contempt of court
Chapter 77 Perjury Chapter 78 Compounding
Section H: Organised crime
Chapter 79 The history of organised crime legislation
Chapter 80 The nature of organised crime
Chapter 81 Racketeering under POCA
Chapter 82 Prevention and control of criminal gangs under POCA
Chapter 83 Money laundering under section 4 of POCA and section 1 of FICA
Chapter 84 Offences relating to proceeds of unlawful activities and reporting duties Chapter 85 Asset forfeiture
Section I: Hate offences
Chapter 86 Hate crimes and hate speech