Can a crime ever be justified? We are fed up with watching crimes in the television or in the newspapers, from petty crimes like shoplifting to big ones such as harassment or domestic abuse. Surely we have sometimes wondered whether some of these crimes can ever be justified. On one hand, we may think that every offence should be punished, since we are ruled by laws, and they must be obeyed. If laws didn't exist, our society would be chaotic. Furthermore, victims of crimes ought to be compensated. However, on the other hand, we can think that there are special situations where some offences might be justified. For example, if someone steals food from a supermarket to feed his family, because they even don't have enough money for that, it might be considered a justified crime. I am not meaning that this is the right thing to do, because we also have to put ourselves in the seller's shoes, but maybe all of us would do the same if we had to face that situation. From my point of view, perhaps some laws ought to be changed, because sometimes punishments related to petty crimes are more severe in comparison to those regarding big offences. All of us have noticed how politicians who steal public money do not get prison sentences, even they are not forced to give the stolen money back. All in all, maybe it is time for governments to change laws and assure fair punishments for every crime.