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