What Is Criminal Law?

What is Criminal Law? Quite simply, it's a collection of rules and regulations that grant the government investigative power, either ex ante or prior to a crime. These powers, such as stop and search, surveillance, and detention of suspects, are designed to gather evidence of criminality. Once enough evidence is gathered, criminal law can charge a person with a crime. Read on to learn more. The purpose of Criminal Law is to protect others, as well as to punish people who break the law. While many people want criminalizing wrongs, the danger of criminalization is often more grave than we perceive. Not only does criminalization divert resources from other priorities, but it also can drive criminal conduct underground. Moreover, institutions of punishment may harbor unspoken abuses, and ex-offenders may be pushed toward criminality by diminished prospects. If criminal behavior is largely socially unacceptable, the best way to prevent it is to reduce it to a minimum. A criminal case ...