K

keeping n. (of property) See THEFT.

keeping term See TERM.

keeping the peace Behaving in such a way as not to cause or threaten a breach
of the peace, i.e. a disturbance of public order. Magistrates' courts have very wide
powers to *bind over people to keep the peace or to make them enter into
*recognizances (either personally or through a surety) to pay a sum of money into
court if they fail to keep the peace. The order may be made against a defendant on a
criminal charge or merely upon complaint by a member of the public (if there is
some evidence that a *breach of the peace may occur). A person may be bound over
for any sum of money or any period of time; if he refuses to be bound over or to
enter into the recognizance, he may be sentenced immediately to imprisonment
(even if he has committed no criminal offence).

kerb crawling The offence by a man of *soliciting a woman for prostitution in a
street or public place either from a motor vehicle or having just alighted from one,
when the soliciting is persistent or likely to cause annoyance to the woman or
nuisance to other people in the vicinity.

kidnapping n. Carrying a person away, without his consent, by means of force,
threats, or fraud. Kidnapping is a common-law offence punishable with a maximum
sentence of life imprisonment. A man may be guilty of kidnapping his wife.
Disputes between parents about the right to their children are dealt with in family
proceedings. A parent with care of the child may obtain a warrant for the arrest of
the other parent if he or she takes the child away. Failure to comply with an order
for the return of the child amounts to contempt of court. See alsoABDUCTION;
HOSTAGE.

kleptomania n. A mental disorder leading to the *irresistible impulse to steal.
knock-out agreement An agreement by dealers not to bid against each other at
an auction. Such an agreement is illegal (see AUCTION RING).

know-how n. Technical information often exploited in conjunction with a *patent.
EU regulation 240/96 governs the terms that mayor may not be included in a
knowhow licence agreement. See TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER.

knowing receipt If a stranger receives trust property knowing it to be in breach
of trust, he will be liable to account to the beneficiaries for that property or for the
proceeds of it (see TRACING TRUST PROPERTY).