Title V. Penal Code

Chapter 1. General Provisions

§ 102. Purposes; Principles of Construction.

    1.    The general purposes of the provisions governing this Act are:

            a.     to forbid and prevent conduct that unjustifiably and inexcusably inflicts or threatens substantial harm to individuals;

            b.     to compensate victims of crime and protect others from criminal conduct;

            c.     to safeguard conduct that is without fault from condemnation as criminal;

            d.     to give fair warning of the nature of the conduct declared to constitute a crime;

            e.     to differentiate on reasonable grounds between serious and minor crimes.

2.    The provisions of the Code shall be construed according to the fair import of their terms but when the language is susceptible of differing constructions it shall be interpreted to further the general purposes stated in this Section and the special purposes of the particular provision involved. The discretionary powers conferred by the Code shall be exercised in accordance with the criteria stated in the Code and, insofar as such criteria are not decisive, to further the general purposes stated in this Section.

Chapter 1                 § 101                 § 103