Penal Code
老挝刑法典
ປະມວນກົດໝາຍອາຍາ
Summary
This Law stipulates the fundamental system of crimes and penalties, clarifies the role and scope of application of the Penal Code, and defines relevant legal terms, with the aim of maintaining social order and protecting the rights and interests of citizens.
Articles
Article 1
Article 1
Role of the Penal Code
The Penal Code intends to safeguard the political, economic and social regimes of
the Lao PDR, to protect interests of the State, the legitimate rights and interests of citizens,
the life, health, dignity, rights and freedom of Lao people, national security and social
order; to prevent and counter offences; and to teach all citizens to be aware of the laws.
In order to fulfill this role, the Penal Code defines certain acts which endanger the
public as criminal offences and establishes penalties for the perpetrator(s).
Article 2
Article 2
The Penal Code
This Penal Code is the compilation of provisions related to criminal offences and
punishments into a single law.
Article 3
Article 3
Definitions
Terms used in this Penal Code have the following meaning:
1. Penal Law means this Penal Code and other related laws which define criminal
offences and punishments;
2. Other related Laws that define criminal offences and punishment refer to laws that
define criminal offences and punishments promulgated after this Penal Code becomes
effective;
3. Territory of the Lao PDR means the area where the Lao PDR is located on the world
map including upper land, underground, waters and airspace, and the area where the
offices of Lao diplomatic representatives are located, consulates, offices of permanent
representatives of Lao PDR to international and regional organizations in foreign
countries, including vehicles carrying a Lao flag, such as cars, boats, ships and aircraft
as prescribed in International Conventions to which Lao PDR is a party;
4. Any person as stipulated in Chapter 1 to Chapter 11 of Part II of this Penal Code
means offenders that includes natural persons and legal persons;
5. Any person as stipulated in Chapter 12 Part II of this Penal Code means army
personnel in active service, reserve army personnel in the period of concentrated
training, citizens requisitioned for service in the army, militiamen, self-defense
personnel detached to army units in combat or combat service;
6. Legal person means an enterprise as stipulated in Enterprise Law, including
cooperatives, domestic and foreign associations and foundations legally established as
legal persons;
7. Moral consciousness means being conscious of knowing what is right and wrong when
committing an act;
8. Sexual Intercourse means the use of each other’s sexual organs or the use of one
sexual organ with another’s organ of the body;
9. A sexual act means putting a male’s sexual organ into a female’s sexual organ or
putting a female sexual organ onto a male sexual organ or putting sexual organs into
other organs of the body;
10. Pornography means the display of sexual organs and sexual behavior between
humans;
11. Diplomatic immunities mean the rights of diplomats to be exempted from criminal
proceedings as provided in International Conventions to which the Lao PDR is a party;
12. Prohibited goods mean the goods that are not allowed to be sold, exchanged,
produced, imported or exported, or goods that must be under the control of relevant
state organizations;
13. Black magic means non-scientifically proven magic or other superstitious practices;
14. Unlawful abortion means an abortion not authorized by a medical doctor commission;
15. Forbidden gambling means unauthorized gambling;
16. Person with mental disabilities means a person who has lost his or her mental
functionalities;
17. Serious disease means an incurable disease;
18. Human flesh means cells of the human body, including sperm, tissue and fetuses;
19. Financial institution means commercial banks and other non-banking financial
institutions such as micro financial institutions, credit cooperatives;
20. War objects means objects used in wartime.
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