Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Companies that export tech products to China may no longer have State or Commerce Department employees available to explain, for free, how to avoid violating criminal law.—Simon Shuster, TIME, 7 Feb. 2025 This Supreme Court decision said that the President has complete control over deciding when and how to enforce criminal law, and, by implication, civil law.—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025 But a change in enforcement priorities is not the same as a change in federal statutes, and companies will still be subject to the same basic criminal laws as before.—Michael Peregrine, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025 The criminal division is responsible for enforcing federal criminal laws, often partnering with the 93 U.S. attorney's offices across the country.—Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for criminal law
: public law that deals with crimes and their prosecution compare civil law
Note:
Substantive criminal law defines crimes, and procedural criminal law sets down criminal procedure. Substantive criminal law was originally common law for the most part. It was later codified and is now found in federal and state statutory law.
Share