criminal law

American  

noun

1. the laws of a state or country dealing with criminal offenses and their punishments.

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criminal law British  

noun

1. the body of law dealing with the constitution of offences and the punishment of offenders

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Etymology

Origin of criminal law

First recorded in 1580–90

Example Sentences

Helen Long, chief executive of Dying with Dignity Canada, called the legislation a "direct attempt to circumvent the constitutional criminal law authority" and said it limits patient autonomy.

From BBC

The American Civil Liberties Union defended Hemani and said the government’s view threatens to broadly extend the reach of the criminal law.

From Los Angeles Times

And there’s this one, a pioneering one in California criminal law: a crime even without a corpse, the body of evidence — the corpus delicti.

From Los Angeles Times

The judges said that while "a very small number" of Palestine Action's activities met the legal test for acts of terrorism, the standard criminal law could be used to confront the group.

From BBC

Mr. Smith’s career has been marked by unusual zeal to push novel theories stretching criminal law beyond reasonable bounds.

From The Wall Street Journal