The principle of legality as an instrument and limit of penal reforms
Keywords:
principle of legality, social control, punitive populism, criminal policyAbstract
Social control, including criminal law, is necessary in order to preserve coexistance in society. However, “punitive populism” is currently spreading. Fundamental principles of criminal law, among them that of legality, face this trend, although legislators retain a great ammount of autonomy to develop its own criminal policy.