What is "criminal procedure"

n. (context legal English) The legal process for adjudicating claims that someone has violated criminal law.

Criminal procedure is the adjudication process of the criminal law. While criminal procedure differs dramatically by jurisdiction, the process generally begins with a formal criminal charge and results in the conviction or acquittal of the accused. Criminal procedure can be either in form of inquisitorial or adversarial criminal procedure.

Every society has its own sets of moral standards and expectations. Different legal systems and laws develop and evolve based on these moral standards and expectations. Following the common law system introduced into Hong Kong when it became a Crown colony, Hong Kong's criminal procedural law and the underlying principles are very similar to the one in the UK. As if in other common law jurisdictions, Hong Kong follows the principle of presumption of innocence. This principle penetrates the whole system of Hong Kong's criminal procedure and criminal law. Lord John Sankey once described this principle as a 'golden thread'. Therefore, knowing this principle is vital for understanding the criminal procedures practised in Hong Kong.