Teaching comparative criminal procedure: Russian dolls, color charts, and cappuccino

Abstract

ABSTRACT Two major traditions-common law and civil law—provide the legal bases for most criminal justice systems in the Western world. Though sharp differences still exist, the past two centuries have witnessed a convergence between the two systems. This article suggests a method to introduce these two systems. It also suggests analogies and provides class handouts for an overview lecture that may be used in comparative criminal justice classes or, more commonly, in any criminal justice class in which the instructor wishes to introduce comparative criminal processes efficiently and with some depth.