The revised fourth edition of
Principles of Criminal Law includes the following changes and improvements:
- A reworked section on the principle of legality, reflecting the debate on the Constitutional Court judgment in Masiya;
- A detailed analysis of the diversion of child offenders from the criminal justice system under the Child Justice Act of 2008;
- A comprehensive examination of the implications of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act of 2007;
- Discussions of important recent judgments, such as Tembani (causation); Humphreys (dolus eventualis); Mzwempi (common purpose); Teddy Bear Clinic (child sexual experimentation); Eyssen, Dos Santos, De Vries (racketeering) and Prins (sentencing discretion);
- Revised discussions of s 49 of the Criminal Procedure Act, the defences of consent and provocation, the elements of robbery, criminal defamation, corruption and the civil forfeiture of assets.
- The chapter on pathological incapacity includes references to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5 (2013).