A criminal case is an allegation by the government that an individual has committed a crime. A court decides whether the accused is guilty or not and what punishment, if any, they should face.
Generally, a criminal case starts with an arrest or an indictment. An indictment is a formal allegation that a defendant has committed a crime. It sets out the facts that a prosecutor thinks support the charges against the accused.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the public agency responsible for investigating and prosecuting criminal cases brought by police. It is part of the Ministry of Justice, which is led by the Lord Chancellor and is also responsible for the courts, prisons and probation.
A crime is any act that breaks a law or rules that protect people and property. Common offences include murder, theft, robbery, fraud, arson and drug offenses. Some crimes are more serious than others and can result in a prison sentence or even death. The most severe crimes are called capital offences and require a jury trial.
Criminologists study criminal behaviour and try to explain why people commit crimes. One theory, known as the Chicago school, argues that people’s environments and social systems influence their actions and ultimately cause them to become criminals. Other theories, such as those of Positivist criminologists, argue that people are born with criminal tendencies which can be triggered by external events or genes.