Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This lecture was delivered by Professor Antje du Bois-Pedain, as part of the Current Legal Problems Lecture Series 2025-26. Chaired by Dr Mark Dsouza (UCL Laws).
About the lecture
This lecture seeks to demonstrate that it is a mistake to imbue conduct which fulfils the definitional requirements of a criminal offence with the moral import of a pro tanto wrong. Based on a Pufendorfian understanding of human agency, it shows how, why, and where the pro tanto wrong analysis leads criminal liability assessments astray. It also positively shows which liability judgments are supported by this framework in cases of mistaken self-defence and other scenarios where the pro tanto wrong conception of apparent offence commission matters.
About the speaker
Professor Antje du Bois-Pedain is Professor of Criminal Law and Philosophy, and Deputy Director of the Centre for Penal Theory and Ethics, at the University of Cambridge. She has published extensively on transitional justice, criminal law theory, sentencing, and the philosophy of punishment. Her current project reconstructs the foundations of criminal liability based on a Pufendorfian understanding of human agency.
The Current Legal Problems (CLP) lecture series and annual volume was established over fifty five years ago at the Faculty of Laws, University College London and is recognised as a major reference point for legal scholarship.
This lecture was delivered by Professor Antje du Bois-Pedain, as part of the Current Legal Problems Lecture Series 2025-26. Chaired by Dr Mark Dsouza (UCL Laws).
About the lecture
This lecture seeks to demonstrate that it is a mistake to imbue conduct which fulfils the definitional requirements of a criminal offence with the moral import of a pro tanto wrong. Based on a Pufendorfian understanding of human agency, it shows how, why, and where the pro tanto wrong analysis leads criminal liability assessments astray. It also positively shows which liability judgments are supported by this framework in cases of mistaken self-defence and other scenarios where the pro tanto wrong conception of apparent offence commission matters.
About the speaker
Professor Antje du Bois-Pedain is Professor of Criminal Law and Philosophy, and Deputy Director of the Centre for Penal Theory and Ethics, at the University of Cambridge. She has published extensively on transitional justice, criminal law theory, sentencing, and the philosophy of punishment. Her current project reconstructs the foundations of criminal liability based on a Pufendorfian understanding of human agency.
The Current Legal Problems (CLP) lecture series and annual volume was established over fifty five years ago at the Faculty of Laws, University College London and is recognised as a major reference point for legal scholarship.
