Political and criminal trends regarding petty crime

Authors

Keywords:

Petty criminality, Principle of opportunity, Principle of legality, Decriminalization, Consensual criminal justice

Abstract

This study examines contemporary criminal-policy trends regarding petty (bagatelle) criminality, distinguishing it from highly reprehensible offenses through the opposition between a "space of consensus" and a "space of conflict." It addresses the concept, features, and defining criteria of minor offenses, along with the decriminalization movement and the tension between the principle of legality and the principle of opportunity. In comparative perspective, it surveys the availability of public criminal prosecution in Germany, the United States, Panama, the Council of Europe, Portugal, Italy, and Spain, highlighting consensual case-dismissal models and procedural simplification.

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Author Biography

Luiz Flávio Gomes, Universidade de São Paulo, USP, Brasil

Juiz de Direito em São Paulo, Mestre em Direito Penal pela USP Doutorando em Direito Penal na Universidade Complutense de Madri e Presidente do Instituto Brasileiro de Ciências Criminais.

References

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Published

1992-12-01

How to Cite

GOMES, Luiz Flávio. Political and criminal trends regarding petty crime. Brazilian Journal of Criminal Science, São Paulo, v. 1, n. 01, p. 88–109, 1992. Disponível em: https://publicacoes.ibccrim.org.br/index.php/RBCCRIM/article/view/3180. Acesso em: 1 sep. 2026.

Issue

Section

National Doctrine
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