noun
accessory before the fact
Legal term for a person who aids or abets a crime before it is committed, as opposed to an accessory after the fact. Used in criminal law contexts.
事前従犯は、犯罪の実行前に幇助した者を指す法律用語です。
Accessory before the fact is a legal term for a person who assisted before the crime was committed.
事後従犯 means 'accessory after the fact', i.e., someone who helps a criminal after the crime has been committed.
Compound of 事前 (before the fact) and 従犯 (accessory), a legal term formed from Sino-Japanese elements.