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Mistake of fact versus mistake of law

Authors

  • Urs Kindhäuser Universität Bonn

Abstract

The article seeks to demarcate the realm of mistake of fact in comparison to the realm ofmistake of law, understood as a strictly semantic differentiation. For this purpose, and based on the current criminal-legal situation in Germany, it breaks down the general structure of a criminal offense, and then analyses which of its components are compromised by each of both kinds of mistake. In this way, it seeks to highlight the differences between those two types of mistake, both in their conditions and in the legal consequences attached to them. Finally, the paper addresses some specific applications of the distinction thus established.

Keywords:

Mistake of fact, mistake of law, culpability theory, consciousness of wrongfulness, object of malice

Author Biography

Urs Kindhäuser, Universität Bonn

Urs Kindhäuser es doctor en Derecho en la Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg. Obtuvo la Venia Legendi por la AlbertLudwigs-Universität Freiburg. Actualmente es catedrático emérito del Instituto de Derecho Penal de la Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn. Además, es profesor honoris causa en la Universidad de Piura, la Universidad de Huánuco, la Universidad de San Pedro y la Universidad de San Martín de Porres. También se desempeña como profesor visitante en la Universidad Renmin (China)