Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

Get access

Constitutio Criminalis Carolina
(813 words)

The criminal law enacted by Emperor Charles V in 1532 known as the Constitutio Criminalis Carolina is the most important legislation on criminal law and criminal proceedings under the Holy Roman Empire and probably the single most important law issued under the Holy Roman Empire altogether. It introduced the criminal and procedural doctrines of Italian jurisprudence to Germany and marked German and European criminal law until the 19th century.

At the recommendation of the Reichskammergericht, the Reichstag resolved in 1498 to issue an empire-wide act on the subjec…

Cite this page
Oestmann, Peter, “Constitutio Criminalis Carolina”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_SIM_018136>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20170206



▲   Back to top   ▲