Offenses prohibited by law but not wrong in themselves are best described as

• A. Mala in se
• B. Misdemeanor
• C. Felony
• D. Mala prohibita

Answer: (D)

In criminal law, offenses are described by whether they’re wrong in themselves or illegal only because the law says so. Offenses that are illegal simply because a statute prohibits them are mala prohibita. They aren’t inherently immoral; they’re wrong only because society has decided to ban them for policy reasons like safety or order. For example, traffic violations or certain licensing breaches fall into this category.

The other terms describe different ideas. Mala in se refers to acts that are wrong in their nature, regardless of the law—things like murder or rape. Misdemeanor and felony categorize how serious the punishment is, not why the act is illegal. Since the prompt points to acts forbidden by law but not morally wrong in themselves, mala prohibita is the best fit.