Public order offences are acts or behaviors that are considered to interfere with the normal flow of society and violate the moral standard of the community as a whole. These offenses are illegal because they conflict with social policy, accepted moral rules, and public opinion. Public order crimes should be distinguished from political crimes, where the state perceives itself to be the victim and criminalizes the behavior it considers threatening. Examples of public order crimes include prostitution, drug crimes, drunkenness, and disorderly conduct in public places.

Under English and Welsh law, a "public order offence" is a different category of crime related to disorderly conduct and other breaches of the peace. The law on public order offenses in Ireland is mainly set down in the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994, which deals with how people behave in public places, such as being drunk in a public place, and also provides for crowd control at public events. If a Garda suspects that you have committed a public order offense under this Act, you must give them your name and address if you are asked for them. In fact, it is an offense if you fail to give your name and address in this situation, and you can be arrested without warrant for this.