NCJ Number
130467
Editor(s)
J Delaney
Date Published
1978
Length
295 pages
Annotation
Following an introduction that reviews the history and contents of the 1930 Italian Penal Code, this book presents an English translation of the code.
Abstract
The 1930 Italian Penal Code, currently in force, is commonly referred to as the Rocco Code (named for the minister of justice under Mussolini when the code was enacted) and was introduced under fascism. It remains in force today largely because those who would reform it cannot agree on what should be revised. Book I, which addresses offenses in general, contains titles that present the principles of the penal law; punishments; offenses; the offender and the victim; modification, application, and execution of punishment; extinction of the offense and punishment; civil sanctions; and administrative measures of security. Book II delineates the characteristics of felonies and their punishments. Major felony categories encompass crimes against the State, against public administration, against the administration of justice, against religious sentiment and reverence for the dead, against public order, against public safety, against public confidence, against the public economy, against public morality, against the family, against the person, and against property. Book III defines the nature and punishments of misdemeanors. The code provides that punishment may be imposed only in accordance with the terms of the criminal law. The capacity to understand and will the criminal conduct is an essential prerequisite of criminal liability. Sanctions are relatively harsh, and a number of provisions tend to suppress manifestations of opinions and attitudes against the State.