Introduction: Relational Morality and the Criminal Law

norms, legal goods, or the public order? And what institutional and doctrinal consequences would follow from such a shift in perspec - tive? This special issue addresses these and related questions by exploring what it would mean to take a relational understanding of morality – particularly the more challenging kind, where core moral obligations are regarded as ‘directed’ – seriously in the context of the criminal law. It brings together contributions first presented at a workshop held in July 2023 by the Independent Research Group ‘Criminal Law Received: 20 November 2025 / Accepted: 22 November 2025 / Published online: 5 January 2026 © The Author(s) 2025