Article 1 Dutch Criminal Code

Artikel 1 Wetboek van Strafrecht (Sr) – unofficial English translation

Book One · Title I. Scope of application of the criminal law

Paragraph 1

No act is punishable except by virtue of a statutory penal provision that preceded it.

Paragraph 2

If the legislation is amended after the time at which the act was committed, the provisions most favourable to the suspect are applied.

Unofficial translation. This English text is an unofficial translation provided for information only. Only the Dutch text is legally authentic: Artikel 1 Wetboek van Strafrecht. Checked against the Dutch text in force on 12 October 2026.

Dutch case law

354 Dutch court rulings cite this article. View the rulings (in Dutch)