Unit 4: Criminal Law

- Armed robbery: the crime of stealing from somewhere or someone using weapons
- Arson: the crime of intentionally starting a fire in order to damage or destroy something,
especially a building
- Assault: the act of inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person
or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action.
- Battery: attempting to physically attack a person
- Bribery: The act of offering a bribe
- Burglary: unlawful entering of a building with the intent to commit a crime
- Domestic violence: violence or abuse against a member of the offender’s own
household (e.g. wife/husband and children)
- Drug trafficking: buying and selling illegal narcotics
- Drunk driving: operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol
- Embezzlement: using illegally or stealing money which you are looking for someone else
- Extortion: getting money from people by using threats
- Forgery: making an illegal copy of banknote or document
- Fraud: getting money or property from people by making them believe untrue things
- Homicide: a person who kills another
- Insider dealing = insider trading: the act of trading in securities by people who have
confidential information about a company’s finances or operations
- Joyriding: stealing a car and driving it dangerously for fun
- Kidnapping: taking a person against his/her will (or taking a child from the control of a
parent or guardian)
- Larceny: theft of personal property
- Manslaughter: unlawful killing but without intent to kill
- Money laundering: the process of making large amounts of money generated by a
criminal activity, such as drug trafficking or terrorist funding, appear to have come from
a legitimate source.
- Obstruction of justice: the crime or act of willfully interfering with the process of justice
and law especially by influencing, threatening, harming, or impeding a witness, potential
witness, juror, or judicial or legal officer or by furnishing false information in or
otherwise impeding an investigation or legal process
- Rape: using violence or threats to have sex without consent
- Shoplifting: stealing merchandise from a shop or business
- Stalking: repeatedly following and/or harassing a person with unwanted attention
- Tax evasion: illegally trying to avoid paying taxes
- Theft: general term for talking another person’s personal property without permission
- Vandalism: intentional and malicious damage to or destruction of property
- White-collar crimes = business crime: non-violent offences usually committed by
business people or government official, typically property crimes and economic crimes.
 Also includes bribery, environmental law violations and money laundering, among many
others
- Offence = crime: a violation of public which is subject to punishment such as
imprisonment of fine
- Prosecution: bring a criminal case before a court
- Prosecutor: lawyer who brings criminal cases on behalf of
- Jurisdiction: territory or district in which a court has authority to hear cases
- Offender: person who commits a crime
- Sentence: to impose a certain punishment
- Execution: death penalty, capital punishment
- Corporal punishment: punishment inflicted on the body, such as whipping
- Imprisonment = supervised release: being confined in jail or prison (also incarceration)
- Parole: early release from prison after serving part of the sentences, usually under
supervision and upon certain conditions
- Probation: sentences which allows the convicted offender to be released into
community under supervision instead of going to prison
- Community service order: alternative to prison, a criminal sentences that requires the
offender to do unpaid work in the community
- Petty theft: stealing something of low value (in some jurisdiction less than $400), in
contrast to grand theft, where the value of the stolen goods is greater
- Accused: someone charged with a crime, the defendant in a criminal proceeding
- Action in tort: case brought in court, seeking damages for a tort
- Actus reus: criminal deed or act, which means criminal intent)
- Balance of probabilities: where proof of liability must be shown to be more likely than
not
- Burden of proof: requirement of presenting enough evidence to support a claim
- Charge: to make a formal accusation of a crime
- Guilty beyond a reasonable doubt: amount of proof needed to convict a defendant of a
crime
- Preponderance of the evidence: standard of proof in civil cases requiring that one side’s
case must be more probable than not
- Judge: public official who hears and decides cases in court
- Jury: group of people selected to come to a verdict on questions of fact based on
evidence presented in court
- Claimant = Plaintiff: person who brings a civil action