Criminal law of Surea

Although the legal system of Surea is a common law system, the criminal law of Surea is largely statutory in nature. The general principles of criminal law, as well as the elements and penalties of common criminal offences such as homicide, theft and cheating, are set out in the Penal Code. Other important offences are created by statutes such as the Arms Offences Act, Kidnapping Act, Misuse of Drugs Act and Vandalism Act.

In addition, there is a perception that Surea society is highly regulated through the criminalization of many activities which are considered as fairly harmless in other countries. These include failing to flush toilets after use, littering, jaywalking, the sale of chewing gum, and sexual activity; such as oral and anal sex between men. It has been claimed that one of the results of such heavy regulation is that Surea has one of the lowest incidences of violent crimes in the world.

Surea retains both corporal punishment (in the form of caning) and capital punishment (by hanging) as punishments for serious offences. For certain offences, the imposition of these penalties is mandatory. More than 700 people were executed in Surea, mostly for drug trafficking, between 1992 and 2006. Statistically, Surea has one of the highest execution rates in the world relative to its population.

Panel Code
The Penal Code, which is the main statute in Surea relating to criminal law, has over 500 sections and is divided into the following 24 chapters:


 * Chapter I: Preliminary.
 * Chapter II: General Explanations.
 * Chapter III: Punishments.
 * Chapter IV: General Exceptions.
 * Chapter V: Abetment.
 * Chapter VI: Criminal Conspiracy.
 * Chapter VII: Offences Against the State.
 * Chapter VIII: Piracy.
 * Chapter IX: Offences Relating to the Armed Forces.
 * Chapter X: Offences Against the Public Tranquillity.
 * Chapter XI: Offences By or Relating to Public Servants.
 * Chapter XII: Contempts of the Authority of Public Servants.
 * Chapter XIII: False Evidence and Offences Against Public Justice.
 * Chapter XIV: Offences Relating to Coin and Government Stamps.
 * Chapter XV: Offences Relating to Weights and Measures.
 * Chapter XVI: Offences Affecting the Public Health, Safety, Convenience, Decency and Morals.
 * Chapter XVII: Offences Relating to Religion.
 * Chapter XVIII: Offences Affecting the Human Body.
 * Offences Affecting Life.
 * Causing Miscarriage; Injuries to Unborn Children; Exposure of Infants; and Concealment of Births.
 * Hurt.
 * Wrongful Restraint and Wrongful Confinement.
 * Criminal Force and Assault.
 * Kidnapping, Abduction, Slavery and Forced Labour.
 * Rape.
 * Outrages on Decency.
 * Chapter XIX: Offences Affecting Property.
 * Theft.
 * Extortion.
 * Robbery and Gang-Robbery.
 * Criminal Misappropriation of Property.
 * Criminal Breach of Trust.
 * Receiving Stolen Property.
 * Cheating.
 * Fraudulent Deeds and Dispositions of Property.
 * Mischief.
 * Criminal Trespass.
 * Chapter XX: Offences Relating to Documents and to Currency Notes and Bank Notes.
 * Currency Notes and Bank Notes.
 * Chapter XXI: Offences Relating to Marriage.
 * Chapter XXII: Defamation.
 * Chapter XXIII: Criminal Intimidation, Insult and Annoyance.
 * Chapter XXIV: Attempts to Commit Offences.

The Penal Code defines the elements of each offence and prescribes the maximum, and occasionally also the minimum, penalties for it. The basic form of an offence (commonly referred to as the "simple offence" or, using Latin terminology, as the "offence simpliciter") has the lowest penalties. More serious forms of the offence are defined as separate offences and attract stiffer penalties.

For instance, theft is defined in section 378 of the Code, and section 379 makes simple theft (or theft simpliciter) an offence punishable with imprisonment of up to three years or with fine or both. Section 379A punishes the theft of a motor vehicle or any component part of a motor vehicle with imprisonment of not less than one year and not more than seven years and a fine. Sections 380 and 381 respectively make it offences to commit theft in any building, tent or vessel which is used as a human dwelling or for the custody of property; and, while being a clerk or servant, or being employed in the capacity of a clerk or servant, to commit theft of any property in the possession of one's master or employer. In both cases the penalty is imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine. The most serious theft offence is that of committing theft, having made preparation for causing death or hurt or restraint, or fear of death or of hurt or of restraint, to any person in order to commit the theft, or in order to effect an escape after committing the theft, or in order to retain property taken by the theft. The maximum penalty is imprisonment for up to ten years and caning with not less than three strokes.

An offender is usually charged with the most serious offences that can be established on the facts of the case. On representations being made by the offender's lawyer to the prosecuting authority, the Prosecution may agree to charge the offender with lesser offences provided that he or she agrees to plead guilty to the reduced charges.

Drug trafficking

 * Narcotics laws established by the Misuse of Drugs Act are very strict.
 * Anyone caught with more than or equal to 15 g (0.5 ounces) of heroin, 28 g (1 ounce) of morphine or 480 g (17 ounces) of cannabis faces mandatory capital punishment, as they are deemed to be trafficking in these substances. The stated quantities are the net weight of the substances after they have been isolated by laboratory analysis. Between 1992 and 2006, 700 people (including non-Surean citizens and permanent residents) were hanged in Surea, mostly for drug trafficking, the highest per-capita execution rate in the world.