In this book, the fundamental problems of criminal law in the evaluation, inference of crime and punishment are examined.

The book is intended for researchers, doctoral students and law professors, police officers, theorists and experts in criminal law, as well as philosophers, sociologists, psychologists and anyone interested in the problems of crime and criminology.

The present work is a continuation of the research of Professor Elham Rahimov in finding answers to the fundamental questions of criminal law about crime and penalty.  She has previously published a valuable book “Crime and Punishment” (Moscow, 2012).

The title of the book, "Philosophy of Crime and Punishment", refers to the complexities of an issue that the author seeks to study and explain.  The questions that the author sought to answer are: "What is the meaning of crime beyond criminal law?"  What are the causes and origins of human criminal behavior?  What is the nature of punishment?  Where did it come from?  Why and for what reason do we punish?  Who is punished and how?  Who has the right to punish and who gave us such a right?  "Is punishment necessary for society in general, and what is its future?"

Biography of Elham Rahimov (author of the book)

In 1970 he entered the Faculty of Law of Lenin State University.  In 1975, he studied for a doctorate in criminal law at a department, affiliated with Leningrad State University, and in 1978 received a doctorate in law.

From 1982 to 1992, he headed the Legislative Department of the Ministry of Justice and was a member of the Board of Directors.  During this period, drafts of many legal bills were prepared and the necessary decisions were made regarding the bills, with his help.

In 1988 he defended his postdoctoral dissertation at Leningrad University.  He was the youngest criminal graduate of the course in the Soviet Union.  He has been a professor since 1996.

From 1992 to 1996, he was the director of the Scientific-Research Institute for Forensic Science, Criminology and Forensic Medicine.

From 1996 to 2000, he taught law at several universities.  At the same time, he was the head of the scientific department of the College of Higher Diplomacy.

He has authored nearly one hundred scholarly articles on criminal law and labor law, as well as several books on the fundamental issues of legislation and the judiciary, including: Theoretical and Practical Problems of Labor Law (Baku, 1981);  Theory of Judicial Prediction (Baku, 1987);  Philosophy of punishment and the problems of determining it (Baku, 1998);  Crime and Punishment (Moscow, 2012).  He was the first author of the theory of judicial reform to be presented in 1992-1993.  In 1994, he prepared a government program to fight crime.

This book has been translated by Farzaneh Shafiei, Fatemeh Sadat Mirlouhi and Javad Akbari.