penal code

A penal code is a portion of a state's laws defining crimes and specifying the punishment. Other parts of the laws of a given state can define crimes and punishments, such as a traffic code or a building safety code, or laws addressing environmental resources by regulating hunting, fishing, or forestry.

In many states, the body of criminal law is published in one or more printed books for convenient reference by lawyers, other professionals of the criminal justice system, and, in principle, ordinary citizens.

See also

• California Penal Code, one of many examples of a penal code in the United States.
• Criminal Code
• Indian Penal Code

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