The course title is in itself a provocative idea since, strictly speaking, European Criminal Law does not exist. Starting from this challenging premise, the course will be developed in two parts. The introductory part will provide a general background on EU law to familiarize students with the new European legal order. The second, and substantially more important, part of the course will focus on the development of criminal justice at a European level. Strong emphasis will be drawn on the European Convention of Human Rights and its case law, the role of the Council of Europe and the detailed functioning of the European Cooperation in Criminal and Judicial matters (the so-called third pillar of the European Union). The main goal of this class is to allow students to appreciate the differences between the European Community and the intergovernmental level of governance in criminal matters. Students will gain from the course an understanding of the historical development of this field as well as an appreciation of the impact of the "third pillar" on national criminal law of the current Member States of the EU.
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