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Reverted edits by Pyroced (talk) to last revision by DavidE
{{merge from|Criminal offense}}
{{merge from|Criminal Law}}
A '''crime''' is an act that is in violation of a [[Criminal Law|criminal law]]. An act that merely violates a civil law is not a crime, although it may be a [[tort]]. It is possible for an act to be covered by both criminal and civil laws; an example is [[assault]]. An act in violation of [[God]]'s law is called a [[sin]].
Crimes are committed by criminals. They can be individuals, groups, corporations, or governments. They can be fought by individuals (taking the law into one's own hands - which in some instances can be a crime in itself), militias, mob rule, or by the [[police]].
Where crime has been committed, a criminal may be identified, accused, and taken to a court of law. Courts require [[evidence]] in order to proceed to the matter to a trial. If the court is convinced that the accused criminal has committed the crime, it may judge the criminal guilty of the crime and issue a punishment. This may include restitution, fines, [[community service]], a prison sentence, or death. A crime punishable by death is known as a [[capital crime]].
Certain crimes, including genocide, can be classed as war crime. These are usually heard by a military tribunal or the International Criminal Court.
The causes of crime are debated and sometimes politicized. Greed, poverty, boredom, and mental illness have all been suggested.
Over time a given act can be legal, then declared a crime (criminalization), then made legal again (decriminalization). One example is the consumption of [[alcohol]] in the context of [[Prohibition]]. Throughout the world, debates exist over the criminal status of various activities, such as [[prostitution]] and [[marijuana]] cultivation.
The determination of a crime is ultimately subject to a given nation's [[Constitution]]. If the determination is considered unconstitutional, its declaration can be overturned.
==Criminology==
The academic study of crime is known as [[criminology]]. The preponderance of crime is measured as the [[crime rate]], and usually expressed as a ratio (13 homicides per 10000 people, for example). Different crimes can also be grouped into categories, such as violent crime. Informal categories include white-collar crime and victimless crime.
==See also==
*[[Accuracy In Media]]
*[[Organized crime]]
*[[War crime]]
==External Links==
*[http://www.aim.org/wls/category/crime/ What Liberals Say - Category: Crime],
*[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=2l36DmN5r10C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false What is crime?: controversies over the nature of crime and what to do about it]
[[Category:Social Problems]]
[[category:crime| ]]