Definition Of Crime

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and the laws that are created are fundamental parts and cannot be separated easily from the way that society operates. Attempting to make the separation of these fundamentals would likely cause forgetting critical issues that aid in the understanding crime


A dictionary definition of crime is broad and does not provide a useful definition. For example the Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary's definition tells us:

"crime:

1. : an act or the commission of an act that is forbidden or an omission of duty that is commanded by a public law, injurious to the public welfare, and which makes the offender liable for punishment prescribed by that law and imposed in a judicial proceeding usually bought in the name of the state; esp. a gross violation of the law.

2. : a grave offence; esp. against morality

3. : criminal activity (efforts to fight criminal activity)

4. : something reprehensible, foolish or disgraceful (It's a crime to waste a food.)

5. : evil or ...

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`so inherently evil that they are universally considered evil'.(Beirne, P., 1995) Examples of the mala in se types of offence are homicide and rape. Mala prohibita are acts prohibited by law. The list of these mala prohibita acts changes as society evolves. For example, offences such as gambling or drug abuse are considered criminal because society seeks to regulate these specific types of behavior. These offences drift in and out of our legal codes. Their status is often determined by current public opinion, religious standards , or customs. In an ideal world punishment for crimes would be on a scale according to the severity of the offence. For example, murder is generally ...

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