The paper defends an interactive theory of the distinctiveness of criminal law. It argues that criminal law’s distinctive behavior can be connected to the interaction between five traits: it is an institutional practice administered by a large and special bureaucracy, playing a substantial role in authorizing the use of coercive police force, leading to a harsh sanctioning regime linked, at least in part, with core wrongs and notions of personal responsibility. Although none of these features is exclusive to criminal law, their interaction leads to modes of behavior that set it apart from other institutions. The paper argues that putting attention on the effects of this interaction provides us with powerful tools to both understand and asses the value and problems of criminal law.

本文捍卫了刑法独特性的互动理论。它认为刑法的独特行为可以与五个特征之间的相互作用联系起来：它是一种由庞大而特殊的官僚机构管理的制度实践，在授权使用强制警察方面发挥着重要作用，导致与相关联的严厉制裁制度。 ，至少部分带有核心错误和个人责任的概念。尽管这些特征都不是刑法所独有的，但它们的相互作用导致了使其与其他制度区分开来的行为模式。该论文认为，关注这种相互作用的影响为我们提供了强大的工具来理解和评估刑法的价值和问题。