criminal negligence
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- (Law) Reckless disregard for the safety of others: A legal concept describing conduct where a person acts with such a lack of care that it constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care a reasonable person would observe, thereby creating a high risk of injury or death to another person. It can also involve a failure to act when there is a duty to do so, with the same severe consequences.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The driver was charged with criminal negligence after causing a fatal accident while texting.
- The company's failure to maintain its equipment amounted to criminal negligence, resulting in a worker's death.
- The prosecutor must prove criminal negligence to secure a conviction for manslaughter in this case.
Advanced Usage
- "gross negligence": Often used interchangeably in legal contexts to describe an extreme departure from the ordinary standard of care. While subtle distinctions exist in some jurisdictions, it generally conveys a similar severity to criminal negligence.
- The court found the surgeon's actions constituted gross negligence.
Variants and Related Words
- Negligence (n): The general failure to exercise proper care, which may or may not rise to the level of criminal negligence.
- The civil lawsuit was based on a claim of ordinary negligence.
- Criminally negligent (adj): Describing the state or action of being guilty of criminal negligence.
- The judge ruled the landlord's behavior was criminally negligent.
Synonyms
- Culpable negligence: Negligence that is deserving of blame or censure, often used in legal language.
- Recklessness: Conscious disregard of a substantial and unjustifiable risk (this can be a related but distinct legal standard).
Related Phrases
- "Negligence per se": (Legal term) A doctrine where an act is considered negligent because it violates a statute or regulation designed to protect the public.
- Violating the building code was negligence per se.
Related Idioms
- "Playing with fire": (Figurative) Behaving in a very risky way that could lead to serious trouble. This captures the essence of reckless disregard but is not a legal term.
- Ignoring those safety warnings is like playing with fire.
Noun
- (law) recklessly acting without reasonable caution and putting another person at risk of injury or death (or failing to do something with the same consequences)