What is Criminal Law?

"[The] rules of conduct imposed to protect and regulate society. If the criminal law is broken, the wrongdoer may be punished (e.g. by imprisonment or financial penalty, called a "fine", to be paid into the public purse). A person is guilty of a crime if they have broken the rules in circumstances in which they are considered to have done so wilfully or knowingly – they must have a "guilty mind" as well as having performed a wrongful action."