Criminal conversion is a crime, limited to parts of common law systems outside England and Wales, of exerting unauthorized use or control over someone else's property, at minimum personal property, and in some jurisdictions also real property, patents, design rights, or trademarks. It differs from theft in that it does not require an intent to permanently deprive the owner of the property, making it a lesser offense than theft, and it is distinguished from the civil tort of conversion because it involves criminal rather than civil law.
Facts
Classification CodeIn England and Wales, the historical offense of fraudulent conversion was abolished and folded into the single offense of theft under section 1(1) of the Theft Act 1968, so it no longer carries its own separate statutory classification there. 1 Elements of OffenseCriminal conversion consists of exerting unauthorized use or control over someone elses property, at minimum personal property, and unlike theft it does not require an intent to permanently deprive the owner of the property. 1 Jurisdiction VariationAs a distinctly named offense, criminal conversion is recognized only in parts of common law systems outside England and Wales, where the older offense of fraudulent conversion was abolished and absorbed into the general offense of theft. 1 Classification
Offense GradeMinor or Summary Offense 1 Connections
Sources
1. Criminal Conversion (Wikipedia)
WikipediaFraudulent conversion section
The former offence of fraudulent conversion was replaced by an offence of theft, contrary to section 1(1) of the Theft Act 1968
Lead section
It differs from theft in that it does not include the element of intending to deprive the owner of permanent possession
Lead section, jurisdictional-scope sentence
limited to parts of common law systems outside England and Wales
In Group: Theft, Larceny and Shoplifting, Lead sentence
Criminal conversion is a crime, limited to parts of common law systems outside England and Wales, of exerting unauthorized use or control of someone else's property, at a minimum personal property, but in some jurisdictions also applying to types of real property, such as land (to squatting or holding over) or to patents, design rights and trademarks.
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