pénale

Pénale is the feminine form of the French adjective pénal, used to describe matters pertaining to crime, punishment, and the criminal law system. It is not a standalone legal category, but appears in terms such as droit pénal, procédure pénale, and responsabilité pénale.

In law, pénal relates to offenses defined by criminal statutes and the penalties imposed on offenders. The field includes infractions pénales, peines pénales, and the rules governing how such cases are investigated, charged, and tried (procédure pénale).

The pénal domain is distinct from civil or administrative law. While civil law deals with private rights and obligations, pénal law addresses offenses against public order or persons. Its enforcement involves police powers, prosecutors, and courts. Penalties can include fines, imprisonment, and rehabilitation measures.

Notable terms associated with pénale include responsabilité pénale (criminal liability), infraction pénale (criminal offense), peine pénale (criminal penalty), procédure pénale (criminal procedure), and droit pénal international (international criminal law). The term commonly appears in discussions of how crime is defined, prosecuted, and adjudicated within a legal system.