The fifth edition of this established work on criminal law now includes detailed discussion of major judicial pronouncements on dolus eventualis (Pistorius), the limits of common purpose liability in its active association form (Dewnath), robbery with aggravating circumstances (Masingili), treason (the Boeremag Treason trial), racketeering/retrospectivity (Savoi) and consensual child sexual experimentation (Teddy Bear Clinic). With the important entry into force on 9 August 2015 of the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act 7 of 2013, definitions of human trafficking and related offences have now become an integral part of our criminal law. Moreover, the transitional provisions on human trafficking in the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 32 of 2007 have been replaced with more detailed provisions under this Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act 7 of 2013. A significant amendment to abortion law has been effected by the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Act 1 of 2008 (assented to 12 February and promulgated18 February 2008), following the Constitutional Court's judgment in Doctors for Life International v Speaker of the National Assembly 2006 (6) SA 416 (CC). Judgments of the Supreme Court of Appeal, the Constitutional Court and legislative amendments relevant to criminal law up until the end of 2015 have been included in this fifth edition of Principles of Criminal Law.

The fourth edition of Cases and Materials on Criminal Law includes 26 new extracts covering a range of topics, including the principle of legality, punishment, causation, consent in rape cases, dolus eventualis, knowledge of unlawfulness, common purpose, conspiracy, consensual child sexual experimentation, defamation, robbery, corruption, contempt of court, racketeering and criminal confiscation.

This sixth edition of the established work Principles of Criminal Law, now Burchell’s Principles of Criminal Law, includes a number of compelling new features.

Written by three specialist authors – Emeritus Professor Jonathan Burchell, Professor P J Schwikkard and Dr Tshepo Bogosi Mosaka – it contains substantially improved chapters on corruption, substance abuse and organized crime, as well as fuller debate on consent to die with dignity.

It places greater emphasis on customary law and submissions on mistaken belief in consent in rape cases. There are also new chapters on witchcraft and hate crimes (incorporating hate speech).

The revised fourth edition of Principles of Criminal Law includes the following changes and improvements:

• A reworked section on the principle of legality, reflecting the debate on the Constitutional Court judgment in Masiya;
• A detailed analysis of the diversion of child offenders from the criminal justice system under the Child Justice Act of 2008;
• A comprehensive examination of the implications of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act of 2007;
• Discussions of important recent judgments, such as Tembani (causation); Humphreys (dolus eventualis); Mzwempi (common purpose); Teddy Bear Clinic (child sexual experimentation); Eyssen, Dos Santos, De Vries (racketeering) and Prins (sentencing discretion);
• Revised discussions of s 49 of the Criminal Procedure Act, the defences of consent and provocation, the elements of robbery, criminal defamation, corruption and the civil forfeiture of assets.
• The chapter on pathological incapacity includes references to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5 (2013).