nulla pœna sine lege

Anglicised/ˌnʌlə ˈpiːnə ˌsaɪni ˈliːdʒi/Latinate/ˌnʊlə ˈpɔɪnə ˌsiːneɪ ˈleɪɡeɪ/

phrase

The principle that a person shall receive no punishment unless he has committed an offence as explicitly defined in a law.

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Meanings

phrase

alternative nulla poena sine lege

  1. lawThe principle that a person shall receive no punishment unless he has committed an offence as explicitly defined in a law.

    […] -cutions on these and similar constructs, thereby overruling nulla pœna sine lege.

    1992, European Journal of Sociology, volumes 33-34, Plon, page 196
    2 more examples

    This is a wide definition, and the courts, no doubt bearing in mind that a wide application might tend to defeat the maxim “nulla pœna sine lege” have been cautious in its application in practice.

    1945, The Solicitors’ Journal, volume 89, page 262

    This is especially pertinent to nulla poena sine lege in its particular reference to punishment.

    2005, Jerome Hall, General Principles of Criminal Law, page 55

Origin

From Latin: nūlla (feminine form of nūllus, “not any”) + poena (“penalty”, “punishment”) + sine (“without”) + lēge (ablative singular form of lēx, “a law”) = “no punishment without a law”.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 罪刑法定原則 /罪刑法定原则, 罪刑法定主義 /罪刑法定主义
  • 罪刑法定原則 /罪刑法定原则nulla poena sine lege
  • 罪刑法定主義 /罪刑法定主义 (zuìxíngfǎdìngzhǔyì)nulla poena sine lege
Finnish nulla poena sine lege -periaate, laillisuusperiaate
  • nulla poena sine lege -periaatenulla poena sine lege
  • laillisuusperiaatenulla poena sine lege
German nulla poena sine lege, keine Strafe ohne Gesetz
  • nulla poena sine legenulla poena sine lege
  • keine Strafe ohne Gesetznulla poena sine lege
Japanese 罪刑法定主義
  • 罪刑法定主義 (zaikeihouteisyugi)nulla poena sine lege
Korean 죄형법정주의
  • 죄형법정주의 (joehyeongbeopjeongjuui)nulla poena sine lege
Cite this entry
APA

nulla pœna sine lege. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nulla%20p%C5%93na%20sine%20lege

MLA

“nulla pœna sine lege.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nulla%20p%C5%93na%20sine%20lege. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nulla pœna sine lege,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nulla%20p%C5%93na%20sine%20lege.

Source: nulla pœna sine lege on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.