The UK criminal law did just spring up to what we know it as today. Now that you understand what the UK Criminal law is, let’s head a little into the past to learn how it all began.
History of the UK Criminal Law
Although there have been attempts and recommendations for such an enactment, Wales and England do not have a criminal code. As a result, lots of criminal offenses are common law offenses that are instead stated in the legislation.
A committee of Justice in 1980 stated that after searching, they noticed more than 7,000 offenses and believed that there were probably a lot of others.
They noted that it was impossible to determine the criminal law’s whole content at any specific time.
The Law Commission, in 1989, stated that a possible criminal code consisting of all criminal offenses in existence would be too large.
Peter Glazebrook noted that criminal law was contradictory and chaotic in 2001. However, in March 2001, there were over ten thousand offenses asides from those developed by by-laws.
P J Richardson, in 1999 stated that the situation for a moratorium on legislation in the area of criminal justice was becoming more powerful, and the government seems to have more determination of bringing forward more legislation.