1. Section 1 An Introduction to Crime
What is a Crime?
A crime is any action which breaks the formal
laws of a society and for which a person can be
punished.
Who decides what a crime is - Who Makes the
Laws?
Laws are made by the Government, a Government
we elect, for the good of us all. We may not
agree with the law but there are democratic
opportunities to change it. At any given point
there are a wide number of pressure groups
campaigning for the law to be changed. For
example, on euthanasia or gun control.
Members of Parliament (MPs) from the UK
Government based at Westminster, London make
laws that apply throughout the whole of the UK.
In Scotland, the Scottish Parliament, which was
created in 1999, has the right to make laws on
certain matters that have been devolved to it by
the UK Parliament.
Increasingly, we are seeing the law in Scotland
becoming different from the law in the rest of
the UK in areas such as health, education and
housing.
1|P ag e