Legal Dictionary of Pakistan

criminal negligence

Gross negligence so extreme that it is punishable as a crime. ( For example, involuntary manslaughter or other negligent homicide can be based on criminal negligence, as when an extremely careless automobile driver kills someone. -Also termed culpable negligence; gross negligence. "Though the legislatures and the courts have often made it clear that criminal liability generally requires more fault than the ordinary negligence which will do for tort liability, they have not so often made it plain just what is required in addition to tort negligence - greater risk, subjective awareness of the risk, or both. Statutes are sometimes worded in terms of 'gross negligence' or 'culpable negligence' or 'criminal negligence,' without any further definition of these terms .... The courts thus have had to do their best with little guidance from the legislature, with varying results." Wayne R. LaFave & Austin W. Scott, Jr., Criminal law § 3.7, at 235-37 (2d ed. 1986).