Definition of Guilt (law)

In criminal law, guilt is entirely externally defined by the state, or more generally a “court of law.” Being “guilty” of a criminal offense, means one has committed a violation of criminal law, or performed all the elements of the offense set out by a criminal statute. The determination that one has committed that violation is made by an external body—a “court of law”—and is therefore as definitive as the record-keeping of the body. Therefore, the most basic definition is fundamentally circular: a person is guilty of violating a law if a court says he or she is.