The 1909 work “Hukuk-ı Ceza” (“Criminal Law”) by Grigor Zohrab, a prominent Armenian jurist, writer, and political figure of Western Armenia during the Ottoman period, has been republished after 116 years. It is considered one of the fundamental studies of Ottoman-Turkish criminal law.

Zohrab (1861–1915), following the Second Constitutional Period, taught at the Faculty of Law in Constantinople and simultaneously served as a deputy in the Ottoman Parliament (Meclis-i Mebusan). The book, compiled from his lectures, is not only a textbook but also an important source for understanding the formation of modern criminal law.

As early as 1891, Zohrab advocated strengthening the right of defense, emphasizing that an accused person should not be tried without a lawyer and that the state must provide free defense to those unable to afford it. He also warned that powers exercised outside judicial oversight could endanger a fair trial.

In 1906, under Sultan Abdulhamid II, Zohrab was banned from practicing law, after which he left for Paris. Following the restoration of the Constitution in 1908, he returned to Constantinople and resumed teaching. In 1909, his lectures were published as a 281-page work consisting of six main sections.

The new 2025 edition was prepared by Turkish lawyer Tugay Aydın and published by On İki Levha Yayıncılık with the participation of academic circles. The annotation emphasizes that “Hukuk-ı Ceza” is one of the foundational texts in the formation of modern criminal law.

With this republication, Zohrab’s legal legacy has once again become accessible to researchers and lawyers, opening opportunities for new discussions in both legal and intellectual history.