noun
statutory offense; malum prohibitum
Legal term for an act that is criminal only because a statute prohibits it, as opposed to acts inherently wrong (自然犯). Used in academic and professional legal contexts.
See also: 自然犯
法定犯は、法律で禁止されているから犯罪となる行為を指す。
A statutory offense refers to an act that is criminal because it is prohibited by law.
交通違反の多くは法定犯に分類される。
Many traffic violations are classified as statutory offenses.