What Is a Criminal Law?

Simply put, a criminal law is a law or rule within this body of law that relates to a crime. This type of law is set forth in an effort to prevent crimes from occurring and sets punishments for those who do not follow the law.

Reasons for Criminal Laws

The primary reason for the development of a criminal law is to control the way a community or society behaves. These types of laws were developed because it is thought that moral code is not enough to influence positive behavior by most individuals. The government uses criminal laws to punish those who do not follow the code, and as a motivator for those who do to stay on the right path. When discussing criminal law specifically, these laws are set forth by the state.

 Stages of Criminal Laws

There are different stages of criminal law: an infraction, a misdemeanor and a felony; each stage is more serious than the previous. Most infractions are not considered as an actual crime, and include such instances as obtaining a parking ticket for violating a related law. Misdemeanors, on the other hand, can result in fines and a jail sentence. Felonies are the most serious type of crime, and can result in a long prison term, hefty fines and in some cases, death.

The goal of punishment for violating a criminal law is to help teach the criminal not to do such a crime again. In some instances, however, crimes can be extremely serious and result in no second chance, such as murder.