Русско-англо-русский юридический словарь

Criminal Offences belong to a much wider class of legal wrongs. A legal wrong is an act, which is contrary to the rule of legal justice and a violation of the law. It is an act, which is authoritatively determined to be wrong by a rule of law and is, therefore, treated as wrong in and for the purpose of, the administration of justice by the State. [...]

A wrong regarded as the subject matter of civil proceedings is a civil wrong; when regarded as the subject matter of criminal proceedings, it is a criminal wrong or a criminal offence. (Notes on Criminal Law by Prof. Sir A.J. Mamo)