Crime, is a word, of which the interpretation has varied with the philosophic bias of the writer; it has been described as the violation of a right, when considered in reference to the evil tendency of such violation, as regards the community at large, but this definition is too wide; and would include any evil act or movement whether or not it is punishable by law. The (English) Prevention of Crimes Act, 1871 (34 & 35 Vict. c. 112), s. 5, defines crime for the limited purposes of the Act as either felonies or specified offences or misdemeanours, while 'offence' means any act which is not a 'crime' and is punishable on indictment or summary conviction. In our law misdemeanour is generally used in cotradistinction to felony, and comprehends all indictable offences which do not amount to felony, as perjury, battery, libels, conspiracies, etc. see OFFENCE, and consult Russell on Crimes, and Mellor v. Denham, (1880) 5 QBD 467, and other cases decided upon the meaning of 'criminal cause or matter' in Judicature Act, 1925, s. 31 (1)(a), replacing s. 47 of the Judicature Act, 1873, which in Mellor v. Denham, ubi supra, was held to include a conviction for breach of a bye-law under the Education Act, 1870, s. 74. The question as to what is a ''criminal cause or matter''is important when there is an intention to appeal. Contempt of Court, if a substantive offence, will come within the words, Lewis v. Owen, (1894) 1 QB 102, but not if the contempt is the mere non-compliance with an order made in civil proceedings, Church's Trustee v. Hibbard, (1902) 2 Ch 784.
A crime, is an act deemed by law to be harmful to society in general, even though its immediate victim is an individual, P.S.R. Sadhanantham v. Arunachalam, AIR 1980 SC 856 (862): (1980) 3 SCC 141. (Constitution of India, Arts. 136, 21)
'Crime' can be defined as an act that it may also be defined as the commission of an act specifically forbidden by law, it may be an offence against morality or social order, T.K Gopal v. State of Karnataka, (2000) 6 SCC 168: AIR 2000 SC 1669 (1673).