A crime is defined as any act or omission prohibited by law and punishable by the criminal justice system. For something to be considered a crime, it must be wrong according to society, cause harm to society or vulnerable groups, cause serious harm, and be handled through the criminal courts. The definition of what is considered a crime changes over time to reflect society's evolving values.

2. Defining Crime
 A crime is any act or omission of an act that is
prohibited (not allowed) and punishable by federal
statute.
 Omission of an act – In some circumstances the law
requires us to do something and if we don’t we can be
charged. For example, if we are involved in a car
accident, we must stop at the scene (s. 252 (1) CCC).

3. Four conditions that must exist for
an act or omission to be
considered a crime.
1. The act must be considered wrong by society.
2. The act causes harm to society in general or to
those who need protection.
3. The harm must be serious.
4. The remedy must be handled by the criminal
justice system (police, lawyers, judges)

4. Remember, law reflects our
society’s values.
 Adultery used to be a crime in Canada, but isn’t any
longer.
 Capital punishment is no longer sued in Canada, but
in 1795, 12 people were hanged in Halifax for the crime
of theft.
 In 1927, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a law that
required people who committed certain crimes to be
sterilized.

5. What does “cause harm to society
mean”?
Think about the societal harm caused by these two
examples:
 A priest molests an 8 year-old member of his
congregation.
 A girl steals make-up from WalMart.

6. Three main purposes of criminal
law in Canada:
1. Protect people
and property
2. Maintain order
3. Preserve
standards of
public decency

7. The crime rate is going down.
Most Canadians think that crime is on the increase.
One in 5 fears being a victim of crime in their own
communities.
One in 6 thinks their neighbourhoods are unsafe.
WHY DO YOU THINK THIS IS???

8. The Criminal Code
 Federal statute
 Contains the majority of the criminal laws passed
by Parliament
 Lists the offences (crimes), the sentences and the
procedures to be followed in the trial
 Can be amended by Parliament (i.e. to include
new crimes related to technology)