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| Criminal law |
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| Inchoate offenses |
| Offense against the person |
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| Sexual offenses |
| Crimes against property |
| Crimes against justice |
| Crimes against the public |
| Crimes against animals |
| Crimes against the state |
| Defenses to liability |
| Other common-law areas |
| Portals |
Undercriminal law, aprincipal is any actor who is primarily responsible for a criminal offense.[1] Such an actor is distinguished from others who may also be subject to criminal liability asaccomplices,accessories orconspirators. In bothGerman[2] andTurkish penal codes, "principal" is one of the three types of perpetration prescribed by law.[3]
Some jurisdictions refer to a principal as defined above as aprincipal in the first degree. Such jurisdictions use the termprincipal in the second degree to mean someone who is present at the scene of the crime and who aids, abets, or encourages the commission of the crime with the requiredcriminal intent.[4]
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