In
criminal law, a
conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to commit a crime at some time in the future. Criminal law in some countries or for some conspiracies may require that at least one
overt act must also have been undertaken in furtherance of that agreement, to constitute an
offense. There is no limit on the number participating in the conspiracy and, in most countries, no requirement that any steps have been taken to put the plan into effect (compare
attempts which require proximity to the full offence). For the purposes of
concurrence, the
actus reus is a continuing one and parties may join the plot later and incur joint liability and conspiracy can be charged where the co-conspirators have been acquitted or cannot be traced. Finally,
repentance by one or more parties does not affect liability – unless, in some cases, it occurs
before the parties have committed overt acts – but may reduce their
sentence.