CRIMINAL LAW

Criminal Law

Criminal Law

Introduction

Every state has its own criminal laws and procedures. Nevertheless, there are some theories that are common in all the legal systems. This paper discusses the scope and purpose of criminal and the role of jurisdiction in enforcing the law. Moreover, the functions of the adversarial system and standards of proof along with the concepts of criminal liability and accomplice liability are also presented. The theory of inchoate offenses and its comparison with other elements of additional criminal offenses are elaborated in the end.

Sources of Criminal Law

Substantive criminal law comes from the following sources

Common law, also known as the unwritten law, can be found in the common law of states.

Statutory or written law comes from the statute of each state and in the statutes of the government.

Commercial, Health, Sanitation, financial, and tax administrative regulations are also a source of Criminal law. The state and federal regulatory agencies have endorsed these regulations.

Purpose of Criminal Law

The main purpose of the criminal law is to protect the public from criminal activities, to establish justice, and ensure peace and domestic tranquility. According to the U.S. Supreme Court; the fundamental responsibility of any state is to ensure protection of the individual and its property. Other objectives include the discouragement and dissuasion of people from committing crimes, protection of society from harmful and dangerous people, punishment to the criminals, and rehabilitation and reformation of them.

Jurisdiction and Enforcement of Criminal Law

Jurisdiction refers to the authority of a legal entity or judicial body. The authorized party or individual must be officially constituted to deal with legal issues and give judgment. It plays a significant role in the creation of criminal law and more importantly the enforcement of the law. From the jurisdiction perspective, the legal bodies and entities with formal power may enforce criminal laws ...