The question of the abuse of procedural (defense) rights in criminal proceedings and the applicability of a general prohibition on abuse has been vigorously discussed in practice and academia in recent years, although a comprehensive monographic treatment of its foundations has yet to be undertaken. This task is addressed by Kudlich's study: through a brief introductory phenomenology of abuse in criminal proceedings, the three core questions regarding the justifiability or legitimacy, (if affirmative) prerequisites, and legal consequences of an unwritten prohibition on abuse are elaborated. The subsequent investigation then orients itself—wherever appropriate—around this triad of questions and thoroughly examines the methodological, constitutional, and specifically criminal procedural aspects of the topic. This approach allows for a foundation based on general principles.