Which term denotes a legal change whereby acts that were once criminal are no longer penalized?

• A. Decriminalisation
• B. Ripple effect
• C. Criminal Offences
• D. Social Implications

Answer: (A)

Decriminalisation is the legal change where acts that were once criminal are no longer penalized. It means the act remains regulated or discouraged, but it is no longer treated as a criminal offence with criminal penalties; enforcement may shift to civil fines or administrative sanctions, or be deprioritised altogether. This is different from legalisation, which would make the act lawful and not punishable at all. The other terms don’t describe a change in how the law treats the conduct itself, but rather different ideas like secondary consequences (ripple effect), categories of offences (criminal offences), or broader societal impacts (social implications).