Imperial Penal Code

The Imperial Penal Code, also known as the Imperial Legal Code, was the revised legal system established across the galaxy by the Galactic Empire after its establishment in 19 BBY. It categorised crime into five main classes of infractions, including Class Two and Class Five infractions, with the latter being the least serious. Class One Offenses were the most serious crimes and included conspiracy against the Empire and piracy. Despite the high level of codification of Imperial law, Imperial law enforcement agencies had a high degree of freedom in interpreting any situation they encountered.

While a class five offense could be considered the least serious, it did not mean that the punishment would not be severe. In one case on Ringo Vinda, the local governor gave out a six month sentence for a speeder crash and an extra ten year sentence for crashing into and defacing a statue of Emperor Palpatine. In another, the curator of the Imperial Museum on Coruscant used the Code to sentence the Pathfinder Needle to death for attempting to steal a Quermian artifact.

Text and facts from the “Imperial Penal Code” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.