criminal law

American  

noun

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

---

criminal law British  

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of criminal law

First recorded in 1580–90

Example Sentences

Its operations are governed by the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and its role is to investigate whether there is probable cause to determine that a person has violated the criminal laws.

From Salon

Under French criminal law, the seriousness of the crime cannot alone justify provisional detention.

From The Wall Street Journal

As a professor of criminal law, I couldn’t understand the charges in this case while sitting in my library.

From The Wall Street Journal

Another important distinction is between violating nonprofit laws versus breaching criminal laws.

From The Wall Street Journal

According to Essex University's Prof Lorna Woods, the lowest level of views that can be prosecuted in British criminal law are those deemed "grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character".

From BBC