Skip to content

Schuldprinzip

principle of personal culpability; guilt principle

noun SHOOLT-prin-tsip Rare
People & Society Law

Usage Note

Schuldprinzip is a fundamental principle of German criminal law stating that no one may be punished without personal culpability (Schuld). It prohibits strict liability (Erfolgshaftung) in criminal law.

Examples

"Das Schuldprinzip verbietet es, jemanden für eine Tat zu bestrafen, die er nicht schuldhaft begangen hat."

Natural Translation

The guilt principle prohibits punishing someone for an act they did not commit culpably.

Literal Translation

The guilt-principle forbids it, someone for an act to-punish that he not culpably committed has.

Explore German by topic