The area of Penal Law deals with research and training in the many areas that make up the criminal justice system. The activity of the area is developed along various guidelines, which range - to name a few - from the historical reading of the fundamental institutions of criminal law to the critical analysis of the continuous changes (not only of legislative origin) that affect criminal justice, from in-depth monographs on individual profiles of interest to the study of the interactions between the Italian criminal justice system and supranational systems.

The area of Penal Law also operates within the framework of research projects of national interest and other projects of regional and ultra-regional importance, which offer, among other things, opportunities for comparison and exchange of experiences with other university institutions, Italian and foreign.

The study and research work carried out is completed with the organization of conferences and seminars (on the most topical and interesting issues, often in collaboration with universities, institutions and professional associations), as well as with the offer of advanced training courses aimed at both scholars and professionals and legal practitioners.