Charge

Charge meaning

In law, a charge commonly refers to an accusation made against a person for a specific criminal offence. The charging process involves reviewing evidence and determining whether there is enough evidence to accuse the person of the crime. Once a charge has been made, the person must appear in court to answer to the accusation and defend themselves against the charge.

Criminal

A charge is where a formal accusation against a person that a criminal offence has been committed. In DPP v K and B [1997] 1 Cr App R 36 K and B were two young girls, aged 14 and 11, who were charged as accessories to a rape. The defendants threatened and bullied another girl, W, who was 14 years old, to submit to sexual intercourse with boy, X. The Divisional Court held that K and B could be guilty of procuring the rape.

Commercial law

In commercial law, a charge refers to a security interest that a lender takes over a borrower's assets. It is a type of collateral that provides the lender with some degree of assurance that the borrower will repay the loan. A charge can be taken over a wide range of assets, including real estate, equipment, inventory, and accounts receivable. The lender may take a charge on assets that are already owned by the borrower or those that will be acquired in the future. The terms of the charge may include details such as the amount of the loan, the interest rate, the repayment schedule, and any penalties for default. In the event that the borrower defaults on the loan, the lender may enforce the charge and take possession of the charged assets to sell them and recover the outstanding debt.

Land Law

A charge is where a judgment creditor may apply to the court for an order charging the judgment debtor’s land with the amount due under a judgment. A charging order can also be made in respect of land the debtor owns jointly with another person, in which case the order is a charge upon the debtor’s beneficial interest, rather than upon the land itself.

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