The work at hand by Nikolaos Chorafas (1896-1974) is indeed a classic piece in the field of Criminal Sciences, as it retains its value and continues to be essential for every criminal lawyer. This is not only because it analyzes with clarity, depth, and authenticity the fundamental and essentially timeless concepts of the General Part of Criminal Law, with references to Plato and Aristotle, but also because it possesses an unparalleled logical sequence and coherence, to the extent that even if a single word is removed or altered, the entire architecture and essence of the text is distorted.
It was deemed necessary, therefore, to reissue this work, based on the ninth edition edited by the late Supreme Court Prosecutor and University Professor Konstantinos Stamatis, so that the work becomes an ‘eternal possession’ for the newer legal professionals who did not have the opportunity to study it at the University, nor are they able to fully understand it in the Katharevousa dialect in which it was originally written (from the Preface of the editor of the tenth edition).