ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Before a person enters the criminal justice system they will have committed or be suspected of committing a criminal offence. Whilst common sense suggests that we all know what constitutes a crime, like many other common sense assumptions, this is not entirely true (Hodgson and Webb 2005), as actually defining what is a crime can present a host of dilemmas. Definitions of crime can be socially constructed, politically motivated, ever changing and differ from country to country. Consequently an act itself is not a crime until it has been defined as being so. For example, prior to 31 January 1983 it was acceptable to ride in the front seat of a car in England or Wales without wearing a seat belt. Since that date it has been an offence to do so.
