INSTRUCTOR: MALIK KALEEM AWAN

L.L.B, UNIVERSITY TOPPER

OVER ALL 2ND POSITION,

ASPIRANT OF CSS

CRIMINAL LAW
Law defining crimes and offences and prescribing punishments for them. Its
functions encompass not only prevention of crimes but also penalty for
offender.

MEANING OF CRIMINAL LAW

Law dealing with crimes and their punishments; or law of crimes and
punishments.
As per BLACK’S LAW DICTIONARY;
”The body of law defining offences against the community at large, regulating
how suspects are investigated, charged, and establishing punishments for
convicted offences.”

PHLISOPHICAL DEFINITION OF Criminal law

Rollin M.Perkins and Ronald N.BOYCE in their book ‘CRIMINAL LAW’
“Criminal is used to include all that is involved in the administration of criminal
justice in the broadest sense. It embraces three different fields known to
lawyers as
1- The substantive criminal law
2- Criminal procedure
3- Special problems in the administration and enforcement of criminal justice
……….. The phrase ‘Criminal law’ is more commonly used to include only that
part of the general field known as the substantive criminal law.”

OBJECTIVES OF CRIMINAL LAW

1- Maintaining law and order
2- Protecting individuals’ lives and civil liberties
 3- Protecting individuals and their properties
4- Provision of smooth functioning of society and avoiding chaos and anarchy

PECULIAR NATURE OF CRIMINAL LAW

Its uniqueness lies in the fact that one has to face serious consequences in case
of failure to abide by law of their jurisdiction.

1- Various purposes behind punishments and their

forms
a- Retribution
b- Deterrence: discouraging via suitable penalty
c- Incapacitation : imprisonment for keeping away from society
d- Reformation
e- Rehabilitation: to compensate victim

DEIFFERENCE BETWEEN CIVIL AND

CRIMINAL LAW
1- Nature of right infringed
In civil cases, private right but criminal cases encircle public at large.
2- Who has right to go to court in case of violation
In civil cases, only victim has right but in criminal cases state is involved.
3- Title of case
Plaintiff vs. Defendant and State vs. Accused
4- Remedies or sanction
5- Time limitation
6- Withdrawal of proceeding
In criminal cases, only that of compoundable nature but in civil cases it can
happen.