The question (15 marks)
Define crime, and examine the criteria that must be satisfied before a person may be dealt with as a criminal. Why does the legal definition fail to satisfy the criminologist? (15 marks)
MU Module I, the definition and classification of crime; chapters on crime and the scope of criminology, and on the nature and scope of criminology.
Plan your answer on paper before you look at the authorities — issue first, then the rule, then apply it to these facts.
It tests Unit 1 · Nature and Scope of Criminology, and its Schools of Criminology and Penology.
Authorities you will need
- Blackstone and Stephen, on the definition of crime
- Indian Penal Code, sections 11 and 44, on person and injury
- The five conditions of the legal definition: capacity, voluntariness, intent, degrees of intent, and injury to the State
- White-collar crime, as the counter-example to both the legal and the social definitions
How an answer is marked
A full-marks answer names the issue in one line, states the rule with its section, cites the authority, applies it to these facts and concludes — in that order. The app's model answer for this question is written in exactly that shape, with a checklist to mark your own attempt against.