Penal Code (Chapter 22)

This Penal Code serves as the primary and comprehensive statutory framework codifying the substantive criminal law within the national jurisdiction of Brunei Darussalam. The foundational purpose of this legislative instrument is to maintain public order, define criminal liability, and establish an enabling environment for macro-governance across the state. The text achieves this by systematically specifying the acts, omissions, and conducts that constitute public crimes and by prescribing the legal boundaries of state enforcement and penal justice administration.
The Code outlines foundational legal principles, including general explanations, conditions for criminal responsibility, and explicit exemptions from liability. To ensure structural transparency and support state governance, it contains specific provisions addressing offenses against the State, public tranquility, and the lawful authority of public servants. Crucially, the text defines serious infractions related to corruption and abuses committed by or in relation to public servants, thereby establishing legal standards to safeguard institutional integrity and protect the administrative operational framework of the government.
Operationally, the legislation provides detailed classifications of offenses against the human body, property, and public health, safety, and morals. It establishes clear legal and administrative proceedings for the imposition of prescribed punishments, which comprehensively details penalties including imprisonment, monetary fines, forfeiture of property, and whipping. The Code outlines the exact parameters for secondary criminal engagement, including offenses of abetment, criminal conspiracy, and the specific penal liabilities assigned to attempts to commit offenses punishable under this Code or any other written law.