criminal law 刑法；刑事法律 规定犯罪，如何使犯罪嫌疑人受到侦查、起诉和审判，以及为已定罪的罪犯设定刑罚的法律体系。刑法的一些基本原则已为多数国家所接受，如法无明文规定不为罪原则；刑法规定的明确性原则；禁止类推原则以及无溯及力原则等等。在英格兰，刑法主要是从几个世纪的司法判例中发展起来的。在苏格兰，刑法仍然主要是普通法。美国的刑法源于英格兰的普通法，并保留了自己的传统。美国的一些州虽然已经制定了自己的刑法典，但它们多是由普通法编纂而成或者是不同时期制定的刑事法律的统一化。自1945年以来，英国和美国一直在朝着刑法法典化的方向努力。
criminal law. The body of law defining offenses against the community at large, regulating how suspects are investigated, charged, and tried, and establishing punishments for convicted offenders. — Also termed penal law. “The criminal law represents the pathology of civilization.” Morris R. Cohen, Reason and Law 70 (1961). “Often the term ‘criminal law’ is used
The body of law defining offenses against the community at large, regulating how suspects are investigated, charged, and tried, and establishing punishments for convicted offenders. — Also termed penal law.