What is Crime

 

Crime is a relative term. There has been a variation in history and across different jurisdictions on the definition of crime. Some major figures in history have been termed criminals by state process. In ancient Greece, Socrates the greatest philosopher of all time was condemned by a court for the crime of corrupting the youth of Athens with his teachings. He died by taking hemlock in Roman-occupied Palestine orders for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ were given: Martin Luther King was imprisoned for his role in the 1960s us civil rights movement. Likewise, Nelson Mandela was convicted for activities against the apartheid state of South Africa and served 26 years in prison before his release. He subsequently became the first democratically elected president of South Africa where individuals like these criminals.

    Therefore, definitions of crime are contextual. Crime has social, religious and legal definitions.

 Socially crime is some action or omission that causes harm in a situation that the person or group responsible ‘ought’ to be held accountable and punished, irrespective of what the law book of state says.

In religious terms, Crime is an action against the law of God, whether as revealed in the Holy Book or instinctively recognised as against God's will, irrespective of what the law book of a state says. If the state law books allow something that we know to be against God’s will this does not change its status it is still a crime.

Legally crime is an act or omission that is defined by validly passed laws of the nation state in which it occurred so that punishment should follow from the behaviour only such acts or omissions are crimes. In the criminal justice system If there is no public authority capable or ready to police social activity and punish offenders then there is no crime.

According to the Hutchinson Encyclopedia:

    “Crime is a behaviour or action that is punishable by criminal law. A crime is public, as opposed to a moral, wrong: it is an offence committed against the state or the community at large. Many crimes are immoral but not all actions are considered immoral or illegal."

    The laws of each country specify which actions or omissions are criminal. These include serious moral wrongs, such as murder; wrongs that endanger state security, Such as treason wrongs that endanger or dispute an orderly society such as evading taxes and wrongs against the community, Such as littering. Crime is socially determined and so what constitutes a crime may vary geographically and over time. Thus an action may be considered a crime in one society but not in another, For example, drinking alcohol is not generally prohibited in the West but is a criminal offence in many Islamic countries. Certain categories of crime such as violent crime and theft are recognized almost universally.

    Crime is dealt with in most societies by the judicial system comprising the police, the courts and so on. These may impose penalties ranging from a fine to imprisonment to in some instances death depending upon the severity of the offence and the penalty laid down by the country where the offence was committed.

According to Black Laws Dictionary on page 45;

    Crime is an act that the law makes punishable; the breach of an illegal duty is treated as the subject matter of a criminal proceeding --Also termed criminal wrong.

" Understanding that the conception of crime has distinguished from the wrong or taught and from that of sin involve the idea of injury to the state of collective community we first find that Commonwealth in Little conformity with the concept itself interpose directly and may isolate acts to avenge itself on another of the evil which it had suffered"

Types of crime:

Administrative crime.

    Any offence consists of a violation of an administrative rule or regulation that carries with it a criminal section.

Capital Crime:

    A capital crime is a serious offence punishable by death.

Commercial crime:

    A crime that affects commerce, especially a crime directed toward the property or revenues of a commercial establishment. For example, embezzlement counterfeiting forgery prostitution and extortion.

Continuous crime:

    A crime that continues after an initial illegal act has been consummated for example illegal us drug importation.

Corporate crime:

    A crime committed by a corporation's representatives acting on its behalf. 

Economic crime:

    A non-physical crime is committed to obtain a financial gain or professional advantage.