CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CHILD

Course objectives

The first part of the course will be dedicated to the basic elements of the criminal procedure for adults, on whose plot is drawn the juvenile specificity. Thereafter the course will focus primarily on the essential criteria of juvenile criminal justice and on the values at stake, since this sector of jurisdiction has always been in precarious balance between two objectives: on the one hand, ensure that the ascertainment of minor's responsibility bears the least possible prejudice to his vulnerable personality, which stills be in development; on the other hand, to prevent the criminal trial from being improperly perceived as a sort of minor's "taking in charge", so that even the presumption of innocence fades in an improper use of the trial and its institutions for an "educational interest". Constitutional and supranational coordinates which trace the fundamental features of our criminal trial will therefore be treated, with the aim of examine the compatibility of those principles with the main procedural legal institutes. In an ideal and progressive approach to the code pattern, some of the main open exegetical questions and of the most important jurisprudential controversies will be critically analyzed. As part of the program, particular emphasis will be given to the legal institutes that best characterize juvenile criminal justice, highlighting the values and needs that underlie the differences between this system and the adult's one. The course final target will not be to provide the greatest number of notions, but to encourage students to be aware of the technical and value choices that characterize our legal system, as well as to develop an autonomous critical skill. Learning outcomes A) Knowledge and understanding - The student must show an adequate knowledge of the sources of the Italian criminal trial and of its legal institutes. The student must also demonstrate the ability to understand the rationale and implications of the constitutional and supranational principles of the subject and their normative translation. It must also be aware of the main critical questions of the discipline in force and understand the positive aspects and contraindications of the solutions adopted by the lawmaker. B) Applying knowledge and understanding - The student must be able to apply the acquired knowledge by formulating possible interpretative solutions to controversial criminal procedure questions, taking into account the different doctrinal and jurisprudential positions, with which he must be able to "speak critically". C) Making judgments - The teaching aims to encourage the student to autonomously judge, urging him to avoid a passive acceptance of the stances expressed by the manual or by the teacher. D) Communication skills - The student must be able to communicate the knowledge acquired using an adequate technical language, which is essential in a juridical context. He must also be able to show the conclusions he has reached in a clear and effective way, comparing himself with the teachers and colleagues. For this purpose is suggested to take part to seminars, group work and any activities planned in the living law laboratories. E) Learning skills - The student must show that he has developed the learning skills necessary to continue the study of the criminal trial in an autonomous way and to have the tools that allow him to grasp the main critical points of the system (and the reforms needed to fill them). Learning outcomes A) Knowledge and understanding - The student must show an adequate knowledge of the sources of the Italian criminal trial and of its legal institutes. The student must also demonstrate the ability to understand the rationale and implications of the constitutional and supranational principles of the subject and their normative translation. It must also be aware of the main critical questions of the discipline in force and understand the positive aspects and contraindications of the solutions adopted by the lawmaker. B) Applying knowledge and understanding - The student must be able to apply the acquired knowledge by formulating possible interpretative solutions to controversial criminal procedure questions, taking into account the different doctrinal and jurisprudential positions, with which he must be able to "speak critically". C) Making judgments - The teaching aims to encourage the student to autonomously judge, urging him to avoid a passive acceptance of the stances expressed by the manual or by the teacher. D) Communication skills - The student must be able to communicate the knowledge acquired using an adequate technical language, which is essential in a juridical context. He must also be able to show the conclusions he has reached in a clear and effective way, comparing himself with the teachers and colleagues. For this purpose is suggested to take part to seminars, group work and any activities planned in the living law laboratories. E) Learning skills - The student must show that he has developed the learning skills necessary to continue the study of the criminal trial in an autonomous way and to have the tools that allow him to grasp the main critical points of the system (and the reforms needed to fill them).

Channel 1
PASQUALE BRONZO Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
Constitutional and supranational coordinates - European sources and guarantees for the minor charged - The basic principles of the juvenile proceeding - The subjects of the juvenile rite - The assessment of the age and the personality of the minor accused - The emotional and psychological assistance - Protection of the personal freedom of the minor: precautionary measures - Juvenile rite: investigations, preliminary hearing, trial - Special proceedings - Alternatives to judgment: ratio - The irrelevance of the fact - The probation - The execution of a decision against minors.
Prerequisites
Must have succeeded criminal procedure exam.
Books
For non-attending students: - AA.VV., Procedura penale minorile, edited by M. Bargis, Giappichelli, last edition - AA.VV., Il processo penale minorile, edited by G. Giostra, Giuffrè, 2021, limited to the commentary on art. 1 of d.P.R. n. 448 of 1988 For attending students: - AA.VV., Il processo penale minorile, edited by G. Giostra, Giuffrè, 2021, limited to the comments on the following articles: 1, 9, 10, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 e 33 of d.P.R. n. 448 of 1988
Teaching mode
The course takes place through: - Lectures, accompanied by dialogued teaching, in order to stimulate students' ability to interact on the topics covered and to critically analyze the jurisprudential and academical solutions; - In-depth seminars held by magistrates and lawyers on issues of particular legislative and jurisprudential interest; - Participation in criminal hearings, at the end of which the main applied legal institutes will be examined; - Lessons dedicated to the guided review of the institutes and to the exam simulation. Further material and info at https://elearning.uniroma1.it
Frequency
FRONTAL TEACHING IN PRESENCE RECOMMENDED.
Exam mode
The exam will be held orally. According to the educational objectives, in the exam’s evaluation the following elements will be taken into account: logic followed in answers’ formulation, degree of knowledge of the proposed topics, ability in legal reasoning, use of the appropriate language, possession of critical skills and autonomy of thought. The exam is passed with a grade not less than 18/30. In order to obtain the sufficiency, the student must demonstrate that he or she has acquired a basic knowledge of the proposed topics, with a sufficiently appropriate language. Getting the marks in the highest range (from 27/30 to 30/30 with honors) means demonstrating the acquiring of high to excellent knowledge of the proposed topics and the developing of critical reflection.
Bibliography
Ugo Ciaschini, Servizio sociale minorile e giustizia penale cornice istituzionale e dimensione territoriale, Carocci, 2012 Raffaele Bianchetti, La giustizia minorile: un sistema davvero incentrato sulla persona, in Diritto penale e uomo, 23 marzo 2021 (https://dirittopenaleuomo.org/contributi_dpu/la-giustizia-minorile-un-sistema-davvero-incentrato-sulla-persona/) La giustizia minorile in Italia. Juvenile justice in Italy (https://www.giustizia.it/resources/cms/documents/giustizia_minorile_in_ItaliaItalian_juvenile_justice.pdf)
Lesson mode
The course takes place through: - Lectures, accompanied by dialogued teaching, in order to stimulate students' ability to interact on the topics covered and to critically analyze the jurisprudential and academical solutions; - In-depth seminars held by magistrates and lawyers on issues of particular legislative and jurisprudential interest; - Participation in criminal hearings, at the end of which the main applied legal institutes will be examined; - Lessons dedicated to the guided review of the institutes and to the exam simulation. Further material and info at https://elearning.uniroma1.it It's mandatory to join the mailing list trough this form: https://forms.gle/jrwbiRKVUgarGb9F9
  • Lesson code1047514
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • Courselaw
  • CurriculumSingle curriculum
  • Year2nd year
  • Semester1st semester
  • SSDIUS/16
  • CFU9