The criminal law in South Africa is something that all citizens should pay attention to. If you do not understand the definition of criminal law, it is basically what the country states as wrong and right. You have constitutional and legal rights to a certain degree, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that robbing a house or murdering someone is a criminal offense, punishable by law. If the state can prove that you did something wrong on purpose and you are mentally stable, a court case will proceed and a decision on your sentence will be made by a judge.
There are thousands and thousands of these cases in our country every month where the criminal law in South Africa will need to take its toll. Some cases may be civil, while others are closed and some are family cases. Something like a divorce will not take place in a criminal court, but rather a family court and a small theft will take place in small claims court and more than likely not be civil. Everyone has constitutional rights, so whether you are the “criminal” or not, you still have access to your rights, such as a lawyer. Legal rights apply to every citizen, so make sure you know your rights but also take the time to learn the definition of important terms.
It is important for everyone to be familiar with the law South Africa follows so that if they should one day find themselves in the position where such knowledge would come in handy, it would really help the situation. The criminal law in South Africa is there to serve a purpose; and that is to ensure that people don’t get away with crimes they have wrongfully committed, and this is why everyone should pay attention to the law accordingly.