A penal code is a set of laws established by a country’s federal government that governs the entire nation. The laws vary between countries, and may override local laws. In the US, federal law supersedes state or local law. Penal codes can reflect a nation’s history, such as Germany’s criminalization of Nazi symbols. A penal […]
Penal colonies were used by nations to establish a presence in remote colonies and punish social wrongdoers. Prisoners were sent with overseers and basic supplies to farm, mine, fish, and engage in other activities. Penal colonies provided free government labor and a threat to maintain social order, but are now widely frowned upon as forced […]
The Model Penal Code was created by the American Law Institute in 1962 to encourage the standardization of criminal law in the states. It advocates for the use of general concepts such as mens rea and offers guidelines for arrest. Its influence on state criminal law has been mixed, and some of its provisions have […]
Penal codes list crimes and punishments, and vary by jurisdiction. Codes may be published in a book or document, and can change over time. Different jurisdictions may have similar codes, but with different numbers and punishments. Some codes may be questionable, such as Singapore’s Code 377. The Penal Code is a set of laws, or […]
