What Criminal Law: General Part covers
The General Part of the German Criminal Code (StGB) holds the doctrines that apply to every offence: the structure of an offence, intent and negligence, justification and culpability, attempt and withdrawal, perpetration and participation. Master the three-tier structure and you have the frame for every criminal law exam.
In Lexxington, Criminal law, general is part of criminal law. The course follows the material the exam regulations set for the compulsory subjects and is split into lessons that build on each other.
Lessons in the course
The German course uses German titles; here they are as they appear in the app.
- Straftataufbau, Tatbestand, Kausalität
- Rechtfertigung und Schuld
- Versuch und Rücktritt
- Täterschaft und Teilnahme
- Fahrlässigkeit und Unterlassen
- Konkurrenzen
- Erfolgsqualifizierte Delikte
- Schuldfähigkeit, Vollrausch und actio libera in causa
Typical exam issues
These issues come up again and again in practice and exam papers. You should spot them while reading the facts and know where they belong in your analysis.
- Causation and objective attribution
- Conditional intent versus conscious negligence
- Self-defence and its limits (§ 32 StGB)
- Withdrawal from an attempt (§ 24 StGB)
- Co-perpetration and instigation (§§ 25, 26 StGB)
Knowing an issue is not enough. In the exam you must find it in unfamiliar facts, cite the provision and set out the competing views briefly. That is exactly what Lexxington’s cases practise.
Common mistakes
- Spending pages on uncontroversial points and running out of time for the real issue.
- Citing the provision without applying it to the facts.
- Setting out a dispute between views when all of them reach the same result.
- Abandoning the structure because one issue jumps out early.
How Lexxington trains Criminal law, general
Understand first: lessons
Each lesson explains one section in short paragraphs. A scale shows exam relevance, a colour gradient shows difficulty. Each part sits behind a card: say it yourself, then reveal, so you know right away what has stuck.
Then apply: cases with statements
A case is a short set of facts with several statements. You decide for each whether it is right, then see the reasoning and the provision. This is retrieval practice: Roediger and Karpicke (2006) showed that testing improves retention far more than rereading.
Keep it: flashcards
Definitions and key rules come as flashcards. The app schedules reviews at growing intervals, right when you begin to forget. Cepeda and colleagues (2006) reviewed hundreds of studies: spaced practice beats massed practice.
Get exam-ready: schemes and timed exams
Exam schemes give you the structure. In the exam simulation you write against the clock and get graded on the 0 to 18 point scale. Lexxi, the AI owl, explains every provision and asks back when you are unsure.
Criminal law, general in numbers
- interactive cases
- 322
- practice questions
- 59
- flashcards
- 36
- lessons
- 8
Criminal law, general cases do not only appear in subject practice. In the daily session the app mixes them with due and weak questions from other subjects. Whatever you get wrong goes into the error log, and “Weak topics” lets you practise it again on purpose.
Counted from the current course. We keep adding content.
Three cases from the course
This is what fact patterns look like in the app (in German, as in the course). Each comes with several statements to assess.
Der Schuss geht daneben und trifft den Hund
A schießt auf B, verfehlt ihn aber und trifft stattdessen den Hund des B tödlich. A wollte den Hund nicht töten.
Leben gegen Leben
Ein Arzt, E, kann nur einen von zwei gleich schwer verletzten Patienten sofort operieren. Er operiert den jüngeren F. Der ältere G stirbt, weil er nicht rechtzeitig versorgt wird.
Die Gesamtstrafe nach Rechtskraft
R wurde im Mai wegen Diebstahls zu sechs Monaten verurteilt. Das Urteil ist rechtskräftig. Später wird ihm eine Körperverletzung zur Last gelegt, die er im Februar begangen hat.
When it comes up in your degree
Criminal law, general is usually in the first semester. It stays examinable until the state exam, so it pays not to drop it after the semester exam. Lexxington keeps it fresh with short reviews while you move on to new subjects.
Mixed practice helps. When tasks from different subjects alternate, you learn to recognise the right issue instead of repeating the method from the last chapter. Research calls this interleaving. More on the science
More in the guides: Solving cases step by step · Preparing for the state exam
Frequently asked questions
How many Criminal law, general cases does Lexxington have?
Currently 322 interactive cases in the core course. Each case has several statements you mark true or false, each with reasoning and the relevant provision.
When do German students take Criminal law, general?
It is usually in the first semester. Your university’s study regulations set the exact order. In Lexxington’s semester plan you pick your semester and the lessons are arranged to match.
Is the app enough for the exam?
Lexxington does not replace lectures or textbooks. It makes sure you can recall what you learned and apply it to cases. Use it daily alongside your lectures and reading.
What does it cost?
Every subject is part of the Germany subscription: 7 days free, then €6.99 a month. Subjects are not sold separately.