The maxims nullum crimen sine lege and its sentencing counterpart nulla poena sine lege prescribe that an individual may be considered criminally responsible only for conduct which was unambiguously criminal at the time of its commission and must be sentenced in accordance with law.1 They are collectively referred to as the principle of legality and represent fundamental principles of criminal justice.2 This principle derives in part from a consciousness of the serious consequences which may flow from the criminal process, and therefore of the need to protect...
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