noun
misdemeanor (historical legal term)
Historical legal term used in the former Japanese criminal code; corresponds roughly to a minor offense or misdemeanor. Not used in modern Japanese law.
旧刑法では、違警罪は軽微な犯罪として扱われていた。
Under the old criminal code, 違警罪 was treated as a minor offense.
General term for crime; 違警罪 is a specific historical category of minor crime.
Compound of 違 (i, 'violate'), 警 (kei, 'warn/police'), and 罪 (zai, 'crime'). The term was used in the Meiji-era criminal code to designate minor offenses.