現行犯(げんこうはん)

げんこうはん
noun
caught in the act; flagrante delicto
formallaw
1. caught in the act; flagrante delicto; red-handed
A crime witnessed as it is being committed, or the person caught committing it. In Japanese law, anyone may arrest a person caught in the act of committing a crime (現行犯逮捕). Composed of 現行 (current, in progress) + 犯 (crime, criminal).
現行犯(げんこうはん)で逮捕(たいほ)された。
He was arrested red-handed.
万引(まんび)きの現行犯(げんこうはん)で捕(つか)まった。
He was caught in the act of shoplifting.
現行犯(げんこうはん)逮捕(たいほ)の場合(ばあい)は、一般(いっぱん)市民(しみん)でも逮捕(たいほ)することができる。
In cases of flagrante delicto, even ordinary citizens can make an arrest.

Usage

現行犯(げんこうはん) is used both for the crime caught in progress and for the person caught committing it. In Japanese law, 現行犯(げんこうはん)逮捕(たいほ) (arrest in flagrante delicto) is the only situation where a private citizen can legally arrest someone without a warrant.

Common collocations

Similar words

犯行(はんこう)現場(げんば) means crime scene. 現行犯(げんこうはん) specifically refers to being caught during the criminal act itself.

general
Added 2026.3.5 15:54 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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