Criminal act: legal definition and example

Definition

A criminal act is a serious breach of criminal law that can result in sanctions such as imprisonment, fines or other penalties.

Example

A concrete example of a criminal act could be armed robbery. If a person is convicted of this crime, he or she could be sentenced to several years’ imprisonment, as well as a substantial fine. Criminal acts have serious consequences for the individuals involved, as well as for society as a whole. That’s why it’s so important to respect criminal law and act responsibly.

Quote and reference

Here are a few quotes from the Criminal Code of Canada concerning criminal acts:

– Section 2: “In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, “indictable offence” means an offence for which a punishment of imprisonment for a term exceeding six months may be imposed”.
– Article 3: “Every person who commits an offence is guilty of an indictable offence”.
– Article 4: “The commission of a criminal act is an offence punishable by law”.
– Article 469: “Criminal acts are offences for which a minimum term of imprisonment is provided by law”.
– Article 718.2: “Penalties must be proportionate to the seriousness of the offence and the degree of responsibility of the offender for the criminal act committed”.

It should be noted that the Criminal Code of Canada is a federal statute that governs criminal offences across the country. However, each province and territory also has its own criminal justice laws and regulations.