  It is sometimes suggested that criminal law’s general justification is exhausted by its contribution to our independence. It is not clear why we should accept this claim. One source of doubt is the fact that some agents are unavoidably dependent—they lack the capacities required to live as independent beings. This is true of some non-human animals, and some of those with serious disabilities. Precisely because of the capacities they lack, these agents are especially vulnerable to being abused or exploited. Part of criminal law’s general justification is that it protects the vulnerable against such wrongs. Ex hypothesi, this does nothing to secure independence. So it is not something that can be accommodated by (the exhaustive form of) the Kantian view (Tadros 2011b).