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

"A country cannot go into another foreign country and arrest people," said Milena Sterio, an expert on international criminal law at Cleveland State University College of Law.

From BBC

"Yes, criminal law is often high pressure, but it works for me," she says.

From BBC

The city’s common-law heritage—which nominally rejected retroactivity in criminal law—was junked.

From The Wall Street Journal

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