New Journal of European Criminal Law

European criminal law is an established and recognised legal discipline. It is not confined to the European Union, but it extends to all forty seven States of the Council of Europe. Institutionally speaking European criminal law is driven by both the EU and the Council of Europe under the supervision and influence of the Court of Justice of the European Communities so far as the EU is concerned and by the European Court of Human Rights as regards the Council of Europe.

Although European criminal law is a recognised body of law, it constitutes by no means a perfect or even a mature system and it requires analysis and discussion, so that it may develop and improve. Analysis and discussion cannot be the exclusive preserve of the legislative and judicial bodies; others must contribute to ensure balanced solutions.

Nor is European criminal law confined to what is traditionally considered as criminal law at EU and national level. It covers any field to which the Engel criteria apply and so extends to administrative law where it applies instruments which by object or effect are punitive in nature. It thus contemplates sanctions in the foreign policy field (smart sanctions), environmental law and competition law, for instance.

As regards competition law the New Journal of European Criminal Law is especially interested the criminalisation of competition law and of hard core cartels in particular. It is thought to be the first ever legal journal to treat the criminal and competition law disciplines at their interface.

The New Journal of European Criminal Law has two patrons: the European Criminal Bar Association (ECBA) and the European Criminal Law Academic Network (ECLAN). It serves as a forum for both legal practitioners and academics interested in issues related to European Criminal Law. Its editorial board comprises as wide a cross-section of the legal profession as possible. The New Journal of European Criminal Law solicits articles from all those involved in criminal law in its European dimension. It seeks a large variety of articles, ranging from with short case notes with little or no comment, to opinionated comments on developments, to long in-depth critiques of judgements and legislative measures with proposals for reform or change.

To ensure originality, the New Journal of European Criminal Law has a double blind peer review system which is applied to long in-depth articles. This is necessary to maintain the position of the New Journal of European Criminal Law as the pre-eminent journal in its field and to guarantee the continued quality of its contents. For the same reason an Advisory Committee, composed of several authorities on the subject of European Criminal Law, supervises the Journal and its future development.

Each issue comprises an editorial, (generally written by the editor in chief on a matter of topical interest but sometimes by a guest editor), in-depth articles submitted to peer review, focused analysis & opinions, case law notes (especially on ECHR case law), legislative updates and book reviews.