statutory offense
- noun
- /ˈstætʃəˌtɔri əˈfɛns/
- Formal
- The company was fined for committing a statutory offense by violating environmental regulations.
Examples
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For example, the Ontario Environmental Protection Act provides for a variety of statutory offenses that relate, in essence, to the protection of the natural environment.
Academic text (1992) -
As mentioned previously, the concept of private prosecutions is restricted to use in Canada and is not available to Canadians seeking redress for a statutory offense committed in the U.S.
Academic text (1992) -
Indiscretion in conversation or any other form, within or without these rooms regarding what happens here, is a statutory offense punishable by up to two years imprisonment with hard labor.
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Under the new law, driving without a valid license is now considered a statutory offense.
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In many jurisdictions, failing to file taxes on time is a statutory offense that can lead to serious penalties.
Synonyms
∞
1.4
An act that breaks the law and can be punished
351
3.3
An act that breaks a law or rule
14
3.5
An action that breaks the law and can result in punishment such as jail or fines
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a crime defined and prohibited by a statute' is directly derivable from combining 'statutory' (related to laws made by a legislature) with 'offense' (a legal violation). This adjective+noun composition follows standard, cross-linguistically common legal naming patterns and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.
Etymology
Statutory offense comes from statutory, from the word 'statute' meaning a law written by lawmakers, and offense, meaning a crime. So a statutory offense is a crime that is written down in the law rather than one made by judges.