Did you know about the Latin maxim Nulla poena sine lege which means 'No penalty without a law'?

In simple words, a person cannot be made to face a criminal punishment for a crime that doesn't exist in law because crimes do exist in vacuum.

This principle is recognized by our Criminal laws. Section 5 of our Criminal Code defines an offence to be one criminalised under the Act.

The laws usually explain the acts that make up the particular crime to prevent uncertainty.

For example Section 69 of the Code creates the crime of Riot. It states "When three or more persons, with intent to carry out some common purpose, assemble in such a manner or, being assembled, conduct themselves in such a manner as to cause persons in the neighbourhood to fear on reasonable grounds that the persons so assembled will tumultuously disturb
the peace, or will by such assembly needlessly and without any reasonable occasion provoke other
persons tumultuously to disturb the peace, they are an unlawful assembly."

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