What is a crime?

There are many definitions of a crime. This is because it is difficult to attach an exact definition to something which has many aspects. Motoring, murder; theft, treason, bigamy, blackmail and other offences are crimes. There is a great variety and difference in gravity of the offences.

Criminal law is classified as public law - the law regulating the relations between citizens and the state. Crimes are acts, which the state considers being wrong and which can be punished by the state. A definition of a crime must show that an offence is against the public. The offence also might affect only one person. The person who committed an offence will be punished in some manner prescribed by the State. A definition, which contains these points, is "A crime is an 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". A good working definition of a crime is: "A crime is an offence against the state punishable by fine, imprisonment, or death".

There are some acts, which are crimes in one country but not in another. For example, it is a crime to drink alcohol in Saudi Arabia, but not in Egypt. It is a crime to smoke marijuana in England, but not (in prescribed places) in the Netherlands. It is a crime to have more than one wife at the same time in France, but not in Indonesia. It is a crime to have an abortion in Ireland, but not in Spain. It is a crime not to flush a public toilet after use in Singapore, but not in Malaysia.

In general there are quite a lot of agreements among states as to which acts are criminal. However, stealing, physically attacking someone or damaging the property are unlawful everywhere. But the way of dealing with people suspected of crime may be different depending on the country.

1 motoring offence - дорожно-транспортное происшествие

2 treason [tri:zn] - измена, предательство

3 bigamy ['bigəmi] - бигамия; двоеженство; двоемужие

to commit; practice bigamy — быть двоеженцем

4 blackmail - 1. шантаж; вымогание, вымогательство, шантажирование

to commit; practice blackmail — применять шантаж Syn: extortion 2. шантажировать; вымогать деньги

5 gravity [′græviti] - 1) серьезность, важность; тяжесть, опасность (положения и т. п.) gravity of the offence - тяжесть преступления

6 default [di'fo:lt] -1.1) невыполнение обязательств, несоблюдение правил

Syn: omission , neglect

7 flush a public toilet - смывание, промывание сильной струей воды унитаза

11

Classification of Offences

12

Civil and Criminal Penalties

There are several kinds of punishment available to the courts. In civil cases, the most common punishment is a fine. For criminal offenses fines are also often used when the offense is not a very serious one and when the offender has not been in trouble before. Another kind of punishment available in some countries is community service. This requires the offender to do a certain amount of unpaid work, usually for a social institution such as a hospital. For more serious crimes the usual punishment is imprisonment. Some prison sentences are suspended: the offender is not sent to prison if he keeps out of trouble for a fixed period of time, but if he does offend again both the suspended sentence and any new one will be imposed.

The length of sentences varies from a few days to a lifetime. However, a life sentence may allow the prisoner to be released after a suitably long period if a review (parole) board agrees his detention no longer serves a purpose.

In some countries there is also corporal punishment (physical). In Malaysia, Singapore, Pakistan, Zambia, Zimbabwe, among others, courts may sentence offenders to be caned or whipped. In Saudi Arabia theft and possession of alcohol may be punished by cutting off the offender's hand or foot. The ultimate penalty is death (capital punishment). It is carried out by hanging (Kenya, for example); electrocution, gassing or lethal injection (U.S.); beheading or stoning (Saudi Arabia); or shooting (China). Although most countries still have a death penalty, 35 (including almost every European nation) have abolished it; 18 retain it only for exceptional crimes such as wartime offences; and 27 no longer carry out executions even when a death sentence has been passed. In other words, almost half the countries of the world have ceased to use the death penalty.

1.	Crime	преступление, преступность
2.	Offence	правонарушение, преступление
3.	Homicide	лишение человека жизни
4.	Murder	тяжкое убийство, совершенное с заранее обдуманным злым умыслом
5.	Manslaughter	непреднамеренное убийство
6.	Assassination	политическое убийство, убийство по найму
7.	Shoplifting	кража в магазине, магазинная кража
8.	Kidnapping	похищение людей с целью получения выкупа
9.	Burglary	ночная кража со взломом
10.	Smuggling	контрабанда, провоз контрабандным путем
11.	Theft	воровство, кража
12.	Car theft	угон машины
13.	Hijacking	воздушное пиратство, угон самолета
14.	Vandalism	вандализм, хулиганство
15.	Mugging	ограбление на улице
16.	Robbery	ограбление, грабеж
17.	Bigamy	двоебрачие
18.	Forgery	подлог, подделка документа (подписи), фальшивка
19.	Racketeering	рэкет
20.	Pickpocketing	карманная кража
21.	Arson	поджог (злонамеренный)
22.	Rape	изнасилование
23.	Terrorism	терроризм
24.	Treason	предательство, измена
25.	Blackmail