2ND EDITION AN INTRODUCTION TO THE C RIMINAL LAW OF AFGHANISTAN An Introduction to the Criminal Law of Afghanistan Second Edition Afghanistan Legal Education Project (ALEP) Stanford Law School http://alep.stanford.edu [email protected] Stanford Law School Crown Quadrangle 559 Nathan Abbott Way Stanford, CA 94305-8610 www.law.stanford.edu ALEP – STANFORD LAW SCHOOL Authors Eli Sugarman (Co-Founder, Student Co-Director, 2008-09) Anne Stephens Lloyd (Student Co-Director, 2008-09) Raaj Narayan (Student Co-Director, 2009-10) Max Rettig (Student Co-Director, 2009-10) Una Au Scott Schaeffer Editors Stephanie Ahmad (Rule of Law Fellow, 2011-12) Rose Leda Ehler (Student Co-Director, 2011-12) Daniel Lewis (Student Co-Director, 2011-12) Elizabeth Espinosa Jane Farrington Gabriel Ledeen Nicholas Reed Faculty Director Erik Jensen Rule of Law Program Executive Director Megan Karsh Program Advisor Rolando Garcia Miron AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF AFGHANISTAN Contributing Faculty Editors Nafay Choudhury Rohullah Azizi Naqib Ahmad Khpulwak Hamid Khan Chair of the Department of Law Taylor Strickling, 2012-13 Hadley Rose, 2013-14 Mehdi Hakimi, 2014- Translation Assistance Elite Legal Services, Ltd. Table of Contents PREFACE ....................................................................................................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................................... iv CHAPTER 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL LAW ................................................. 1 I. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1 II. OBJECTIVES OF CRIMINAL LAW ................................................................................ 1 1. Retribution ...................................................................................................................... 2 2. Incapacitation ................................................................................................................. 5 3. Deterrence ...................................................................................................................... 6 4. Rehabilitation ................................................................................................................. 8 III. SOURCES OF CRIMINAL LAW...................................................................................... 9 1. The Constitution ............................................................................................................. 9 2. Islamic Law .................................................................................................................. 11 3. The Penal Code of 1976 ............................................................................................... 12 4. Legislative Acts ............................................................................................................. 12 IV. HISTORY OF CRIMINAL LAW IN AFGHANISTAN.................................................. 13 1. Origins of the Criminal Justice System in the Pre-Constitutional Era ........................ 13 2. The Dual Court System: 1920-1964 ............................................................................. 15 3. The Unified System of Criminal Adjudication .............................................................. 16 4. The Restoration of the Unified Court System ............................................................... 18 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................... 19 GLOSSARY .................................................................................................................................. 20 SOURCES CONSULTED ................................................................................................................ 21 CHAPTER 2: CRIME ................................................................................................................ 22 I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 22 II. ELEMENTS OF A CRIME .............................................................................................. 23 1. Legal Element ............................................................................................................... 23 2. Material Element .......................................................................................................... 25 3. Moral Element .............................................................................................................. 28 III. CLASSIFICATION OF CRIME ...................................................................................... 32 1. Based on the Legal Element ......................................................................................... 33 2. Based on the Material Element .................................................................................... 33 3. Based on the Mental Element ....................................................................................... 35 IV. ATTEMPT ........................................................................................................................ 35 1. Elements of Attempt ...................................................................................................... 36 2. The Question of the Impossible Crime ......................................................................... 37 3. Punishment of Attempt .................................................................................................. 38 V. GROUP CRIMINALITY.................................................................................................. 38 1. Aiding and Abetting ...................................................................................................... 39 2. Alliance ......................................................................................................................... 41 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................... 43 GLOSSARY .................................................................................................................................. 44 SOURCES CONSULTED ................................................................................................................ 45 CHAPTER 3: CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY..................................................................... 46 I. CRIMINAL RESPONSIBLITY ....................................................................................... 47 II. LIMITATIONS ON CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY .................................................... 49 1. Justification .................................................................................................................. 49 2. Excuse .......................................................................................................................... 55 3. Challenges to the Administration of Justice – Resource Constraints .......................... 61 III. CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY OF LEGAL PERSONS ............................................... 62 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................... 63 SOURCES CONSULTED ................................................................................................................ 64 CHAPTER 4: PUNISHMENT.................................................................................................. 65 I. PRINCIPAL PUNISHMENTS ......................................................................................... 66 1. Power to Set Sentences/Guidelines .............................................................................. 67 2. Discretion ..................................................................................................................... 67 3. Aggravating Circumstances ......................................................................................... 68 4. Mitigating Circumstances ............................................................................................ 69 5. Appellate Review .......................................................................................................... 70 6. Alternatives to Traditional Punishments – Alternative Dispute Resolution ................. 71 7. Prohibition against Double Jeopardy .......................................................................... 72 II. SUBORDINATE/CONSEQUENTIAL PUNISHMENTS ............................................... 74 III. COMPLEMENTARY PUNISHMENTS ......................................................................... 75 IV. THE INFORMAL LEGAL SYSTEM .............................................................................. 76 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................... 78 SOURCES CONSULTED ................................................................................................................ 80 CHAPTER 5: SUBSTANTIVE CRIMES IN AFGHAN CRIMINAL LAW ........................ 82 I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 83 1. Legality ........................................................................................................................