criminal code

noun

Law.

1. the aggregate of statutory enactments pertaining to criminal offenses.

2. a systematic and integrated statement of the rules and principles pertaining to criminal offenses.

Word History and Origins

Origin of criminal code¹

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

Each weaponized the criminal code against a dissident who opposed the regime’s agenda, inflating a minor act of disobedience into a felony offense.

From Slate

A recent assault on a Canadian firefighter prompted changes to the criminal code to include firefighters and emergency medical services, and a small town in British Columbia authorized 15,000 Canadian dollars to purchase body armor for firefighters after an attack.

From Slate

They would face possible arrest and imprisonment for “gross indecency” under the country’s antigay criminal code.

From Los Angeles Times

The adviser became the country's first deputy head of the Presidential Office and set up a national criminal code in 2012.

From BBC

By including the vague term “sensitive information,” the new policy potentially covers a wide range of government information; it goes far beyond the federal criminal code, which focuses on protecting classified information.

From Salon