Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Criminal defense
(1,000 words)

1. Definition and types of defenders

The term defense (= Latin, defensio) was first used in criminal proceedings in the 18th century. Roman law understood defensio, on the one hand, as a physical right to defend oneself from attack and, on the other, as a procedural right to defend oneself against an accusation. Drawing on Roman law, the jurists of the early modern period (especially Benedikt Carpzov; cf. penology) viewed defense as a natural right [2. 112 f…

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Kahl, Karoline, “Criminal defense”, 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 23 March 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_028364>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20170206



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