The idea for this book arose several years ago when I was teaching my cybercrime class for the first time. In compiling materials, I was struck by two things: first, that the challenges of cybercrime were being faced simultaneously by all developed and, increasingly, developing countries; second, that much of the academic writing in the area was criminological in nature, with relatively little doctrinal analysis. It was in this context that I first proposed to write this book: a comparative doctrinal analysis of cybercrime laws. While some time has passed between idea and fruition, in this case delay has ultimately been beneficial. The last few years in particular have seen increased legislative and judicial activity in the area of cybercrime, creating a considerable body of law in this relatively new field. As this book amply demonstrates, the criminal law has well and truly arrived in cyberspace.

This book is intended for anyone who wishes to gain a deeper understanding of the legal principles which are applied to ‘cybercrimes’, whether they be academics, legal practitioners, law enforcement officers or students. Aside from jurisdictional issues, it does not address the law of criminal investigation, procedure or evidence. The unique feature of this book is that the various offences are analysed across four major common-law jurisdictions: Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. These jurisdictions were chosen for a number of reasons. First, they share a common law heritage.