decriminalisation
dee-KRIM-ih-nuh-luh-ZAY-shun
Definition
The legal process of removing criminal penalties for an act that was previously punishable by law.
Etymology
The word is formed from the prefix 'de-' (meaning to remove or reverse) and 'criminalization,' which derives from the Latin 'crimen' meaning a charge or crime. It entered common English usage in the mid-20th century to describe changes in legal policy.
In the news
The article discusses the decriminalisation of certain corporate compliance failures to reduce the burden of criminal liability on listed companies and their officers. This shift allows firms to handle minor administrative infractions as civil matters rather than criminal ones.
Corporate law changes to ease compliance, boost buyback flexibility for listed firms
Read the full article ↗BusinessLine