Kriminalretlige

Kriminalretlige is a term used in Danish and Norwegian legal contexts to describe matters related to criminal law and criminal procedure. It encompasses both substantive criminal law—the rules that define offenses, the elements of crime, and the penalties that may be imposed—and procedural law, which governs how investigations are conducted, how charges are brought, how trials are conducted, how evidence is handled, and how sentences are reviewed on appeal.

The field covers a wide range of topics, including the definition of crimes, mens rea (the mental state required for liability), defenses and extenuating circumstances, and the liability of individuals and organizations. It also includes procedural elements such as investigation, arrest, indictment, the rights of the accused, the burden and standard of proof, evidentiary rules, sentencing, and post-conviction review. In practice, criminal law theory and procedure interact with constitutional law, human rights, and administrative rules to protect due process and fair treatment throughout the criminal justice process.

Kriminalretlige concerns are studied and applied by police, prosecutors, defense lawyers, judges, and scholars. The field also intersects with international law in areas such as cross-border crime, extradition, and mutual legal assistance. In academic settings, kriminalretlige topics appear in courses on penal law, criminal evidence, and criminal procedure, as well as in comparative and human-rights perspectives.