What is "regulatory offence"

n. crimes created by statutes and not by common law [syn: statutory offense, statutory offence, regulatory offense]

A regulatory offence or quasi-criminal offence is a class of crime in which the standard for proving culpability has been lowered so a mens rea ( Latin for "guilty mind") element is not required. Such offences are used to deter potential offenders from dangerous behaviour rather than to impose punishment for moral wrongdoing.