preview

Crime Is Not A Self Evident And Unitary Concept

Better Essays

What is Crime?

Definition of crime
The SAGE dictionary of criminology- “Crime is not a self-evident and unitary concept. Its constitution is diverse, historically relative and continually contested. As a result an answer to the question ‘what is crime?’ depends upon which of its multiple constitutive elements is emphasized. This in turn depends upon the theoretical position taken by those defining crime”.
Oxford English Dictionary- An action or omission which constitutes an offence and is punishable by law: ‘shoplifting was a serious crime’.
The OED defines crime as: An act punishable by law, as being forbidden by statue or injuries to the public welfare… An evil or injuries act; an offence, sin; esp. of a grave chapter.
Board of trade v Owen (1957) - in Owen the court considered that the correct definition of a crime in the criminal law was the following passage from Halsbury’s Laws of England. “A crime is am unlawful act or default which is an offence against the public and renders the person guilty of the act or default liable to legal punishment.”
Crime is a difficult concept to define as everyone is different in the way they think and because it varies so greatly. It also depends on what stage of time we are in and how we perceive things. This is because the idea of crime also draws upon how an individual, or a set of individuals are linked with the society. For some people crime is an act that breaks a law which is made to keep the society safe. However, some

Get Access