Criminal Law Explained

What is criminal law?

Criminal law is the term that's used to describe the rules and legislations that govern what constitutes a crime in this country. Criminal laws govern what a crime is, how it's investigated, how it's prosecuted, and ultimately how it's sentenced.

What is a 'criminal offence'?

A criminal offence is an act or a mission - with the necessary state of mind - that is a crime in this country. For example, criminal offences include: theft, criminal damage, murder, and etc.

What is a 'criminal record'?

A criminal record is a record of your criminal history. That is, a criminal record is an account of any reprimands, final warnings, cautions or convictions you've received for criminal acts.

What is a 'criminal conviction'?

A criminal conviction is what you receive once you have been found guilty or pled guilty to an offence. Following that, the court will need to dispose of that conviction. That means that you will be sentenced for that matter, and you will likely receive a sentence. For example, a prison sentence, a fine, a conditional discharge, etc. A reprimand, a final warning and a caution are not criminal convictions.

When does a person become criminally responsible?

A person becomes criminally responsible when they attain the age of 10 years old. That means that if they are 10 years old or above, they have criminal responsibility.