In law, trespass can be (1) the criminal act of going into somebody else’s land or property without permission; (2) it is also a civil law tort that may be a valid cause of action to seek judicial relief and possibly damages through a lawsuit.

In some jurisdictions trespassing is an offense or misdemeanor covered by a criminal code. In other jurisdictions it is not consider a crime or penal in nature, property is protected from trespass under civil law and privacy acts.

See also right-of-way.


The term is also used for a transgression in general, also in the Lord's Prayer.

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