What Exactly Is Criminal Law? Criminal lawyers play an important role in our society and the administration of justice, whether they are prosecuting those who break the law, defending those who have been accused of crimes, or doing other related tasks. top ten criminal defense attorneys As Victor Hansen of New England Law | Boston puts it, criminal law is essentially our way of saying, "the conduct you engaged in was outside of what we as a society approve, and hence you should incur our communal disapproval." Professor Hansen, who oversees the school's Criminal Practice and Procedure certificate program, believes that in criminal law, "societal condemnation" is the defining component. san diego lawyers free consultation Even though a crime is committed against an individual, it is seen as a crime against the state (or society) and prosecuted accordingly. "That is what distinguishes the entire line of criminal law from any other sort of legislation," explains Professor Hansen. The focus of criminal law then shifts to determining what conduct should be penalized and how those wrongdoings should be punished.