3: Criminal Law 
 
Learning Objectives 
This section examines the fundamental principles of criminal law. It describes the functions of  formal criminal 
law (what criminal law does and what it cannot do), how crimes differ from civil and moral wrongs, and various 
classification schemes used in discussing criminal law. This section also examines the sources of substantive and 
procedural criminal law (where we look to find our criminal law), the limitations that the constitution places on 
both substantive criminal law and procedural criminal law, and the important concept of the rule of law in American 
jurisprudence (legal theory). After reading this section, students will be able to: 
• 
Distinguish between a criminal wrong, a civil wrong, and a moral wrong. 
• 
Identify the many ways in which criminal law is classified. 
• 
Recognize the many sources of substantive and procedural criminal law. 
• 
Identify the limitations that the federal constitution and state constitutions place on creating 
substantive laws and enforcing those laws. 
• 
Recognize the importance of rule of law in American jurisprudence and understand the importance 
of judicial review in achieving rule of law. 
Critical Thinking Questions 
1. 
What does formal law do well? What does formal law not do so well? 
2. 
Should we be able to impose sanctions for violations of moral wrongs? 
3. 
Consider the constitutional requirement of separate but equal branches of government. Why do you 
think the drafters of the constitution intended each of the branches of government to be a check on each 
other? How does that “play out” when deciding what laws should be made and what laws should be 
enforced? What current issues are you aware of that highlight the importance of three separate but equal 
branches of government? 
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