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Legal Terms - Crime
Crime is the term used to describe an act (or occasionally a failure to act) that the state may punish through criminal proceedings because it is considered a public wrong by statute or common law. Unless it is a crime of *strict liability, all crimes have a *actus reus and a specific *mens rea. The prosecution must establish these elements of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt. Certain crimes, like murder or rape, constitute grave moral transgressions, whereas other crimes, like parking violations, obstruct society's ability to function normally. The Crown Prosecution Service is responsible for bringing the majority of criminal prosecutions, while private citizens may also bring them; other cases need the approval of the *Attorney General. Generally speaking, crimes are classified as *summary offenses (tried by magistrates) and *indictable offenses (trial by judge and jury); some are hybrid. *Life imprisonment (for example, in the case of murder), a set amount of time in jail, suspended sentences, community service orders, conditional releases, binding over, and fines are among the possible penalties for a crime; judges typically have discretion in selecting the appropriate punishment). Moreover, some crimes may also constitute civil wrongs; for instance, stealing and
Criminal damage includes both torts for which the victim may be awarded damages and crimes that carry jail sentences.
Crime is the term used to describe an act (or occasionally a failure to act) that the state may punish through criminal proceedings because it is considered a public wrong by statute or common law. Unless it is a crime of *strict liability, all crimes have a *actus reus and a specific *mens rea. The prosecution must establish these elements of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt. Certain crimes, like murder or rape, constitute grave moral transgressions, whereas other crimes, like parking violations, obstruct society's ability to function normally. The Crown Prosecution Service is responsible for bringing the majority of criminal prosecutions, while private citizens may also bring them; other cases need the approval of the *Attorney General. Generally speaking, crimes are classified as *summary offenses (tried by magistrates) and *indictable offenses (trial by judge and jury); some are hybrid. *Life imprisonment (for example, in the case of murder), a set amount of time in jail, suspended sentences, community service orders, conditional releases, binding over, and fines are among the possible penalties for a crime; judges typically have discretion in selecting the appropriate punishment). Moreover, some crimes may also constitute civil wrongs; for instance, stealing and
Criminal damage includes both torts for which the victim may be awarded damages and crimes that carry jail sentences.
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