What is the primary purpose of criminal law?

• A. To regulate private disputes
• B. To organize local budgets
• C. To declare what conduct is criminal and to prescribe punishments to prevent harm to society
• D. To govern international treaties

Answer: (C)

Criminal law is about defining which acts are crimes and setting penalties to deter and prevent harm to society. By declaring certain conduct criminal, the law expresses the community’s standards of acceptable behavior and creates consequences for violating them. The penalties serve to deter others, punish the offender, and, in some cases, incapacitate or rehabilitate the wrongdoer, all in service of public safety and order. Choices that deal with private disputes belong to civil law, budgeting concerns to fiscal policy, and international treaties to international law, not the core function of criminal law.