Application of the Law in Time and Space
Explanation
The Lebanese Penal Code determines its scope of application in terms of space and persons. The fundamental principle is the territoriality of the law, where Lebanese law applies to all crimes committed on Lebanese territory (Article 15). A crime is considered committed in Lebanon if one of its constituent elements, an act of an indivisible crime, or an act of participation takes place on its territory. The law also applies if the result [le résultat] occurred in Lebanon or was expected to occur there.
Lebanese territory includes the layer of air covering it, meaning the airspace (Article 16). This expands the territorial scope to include crimes that occur in the air above Lebanese territory.
The application of Lebanese law extends beyond the borders to protect the fundamental interests of the state. It applies to every Lebanese or foreigner who commits abroad a felony breaching state security [la sûreté de l'État] (Article 19). This includes counterfeiting the state seal, counterfeiting currency, or forging official Lebanese documents such as passports. A foreigner is exempted only if his act does not violate the rules of international law.
The law also applies based on the capacity of the perpetrator. It applies to every Lebanese who commits abroad a felony or misdemeanor punishable by Lebanese law (Article 20). This application remains valid even if the defendant lost Lebanese nationality [la nationalité] or acquired it after committing the crime.
Lebanese law intervenes subsidiarily to prosecute foreigners or stateless persons who committed crimes abroad and are found in Lebanon. The law applies to them if they committed a felony or misdemeanor not covered by the preceding cases, provided that their extradition [l'extradition] has not been requested or accepted (Article 23). This also applies to crimes committed on a foreign aircraft leased without a crew to a lessee residing in Lebanon.
Official legal articles
replace · 1983-11-10: Open the official text
amend · 1983-11-10: Open the official text
Think deeper
How does the condition for applying Lebanese law to a crime committed abroad differ if the perpetrator is Lebanese compared to if they are a foreigner found in Lebanon?
Flashcards
When is a crime considered committed on Lebanese territory for the application of the Penal Code?
A crime is considered committed in Lebanon if one of its elements or an act of participation takes place there. It is also considered as such if the result occurred or was expected to occur there (Article 15).
Does the application of Lebanese law include crimes committed in the air above Lebanese territory?
Yes, because Lebanese territory includes the layer of air covering it, meaning the airspace (Article 16).
Does Lebanese law punish a foreigner who forges a Lebanese passport outside Lebanese territory?
Yes, a foreigner who forges a Lebanese passport abroad is punished, provided that his act violates the rules of international law (Article 19).
What happens if a Lebanese commits a misdemeanor abroad and then loses his Lebanese nationality?
Lebanese law remains applicable to a Lebanese who commits a misdemeanor abroad, even if he lost the nationality after committing it (Article 20).
What is the fundamental condition to prosecute a foreigner found in Lebanon for a misdemeanor committed abroad?
Prosecuting a foreigner found in Lebanon requires that his extradition has not been requested or accepted. It also requires that the crime is not subject to other provisions like state security crimes (Article 23).
Does Lebanese law apply to a crime committed on a foreign aircraft leased without a crew?
The law applies if the lessee has a principal place of business or permanent residence in Lebanon. It also requires that the extradition of the perpetrator has not been requested or accepted (Article 23).
Practice questions
A person fired a shot from outside the borders, expecting the bullet to hit someone inside Lebanon. Does the law apply?
Lebanese law applies if the result of the crime was expected to occur on Lebanese territory (Article 15).
A Lebanese committed a misdemeanor in France, then acquired French nationality and lost the Lebanese one. Does Lebanese law apply to him?
Lebanese law applies even if the defendant lost the Lebanese nationality after committing the felony or misdemeanor (Article 20).
A foreigner committed the felony of forging a Lebanese passport on a foreign ship. Does Lebanese law apply?
Lebanese law applies to a foreigner who forges a Lebanese passport abroad, provided that his act violates the rules of international law (Article 19).
A foreigner committed an ordinary misdemeanor of theft abroad, then was found in Lebanon. When does Lebanese law apply to him?
Lebanese law applies to a foreigner found in Lebanon who committed a misdemeanor abroad if his extradition was not requested or accepted (Article 23).
What does Lebanese territory include in the application of the Penal Code?
Lebanese territory includes the layer of air covering it, meaning the airspace (Article 16).
Case problems
A person standing in a neighboring country directed a small drone to enter Lebanese airspace with the aim of dropping a hazardous substance, but the drone was intercepted in the air before dropping the substance. Does Lebanese law apply to this act?
Model answer
Yes, Lebanese law applies.
Lebanese territory includes the layer of air covering it, meaning the airspace (Article 16).
A crime is considered committed on Lebanese territory if one of its elements takes place there, or if the result was expected to occur there (Article 15).
Since the drone entered Lebanese airspace and the result was expected to occur in Lebanon, Lebanese law applies.
Self-grading rubric
A Lebanese citizen committed a felony punishable by Lebanese law while he was in Italy. A month after committing the crime, he officially renounced his Lebanese nationality and acquired another nationality. Does this prevent the application of Lebanese law to him?
Model answer
This does not prevent the application of Lebanese law.
Lebanese law applies to every Lebanese who commits outside Lebanese territory a felony or misdemeanor punishable by it (Article 20).
The matter remains so even if the defendant lost the Lebanese nationality after committing the felony or misdemeanor (Article 20).
Therefore, since he was Lebanese at the time of committing the felony, Lebanese law applies to him despite his subsequent loss of nationality.
Self-grading rubric
A foreign person on board a foreign ship counterfeited Lebanese bank notes legally circulating in Lebanon. It turned out that this act of his violates the rules of international law. Does Lebanese law apply to him?
Model answer
Yes, Lebanese law applies to him.
Lebanese laws apply to every foreigner who counterfeits currency notes or Lebanese bank notes outside Lebanon or on a foreign ship (Article 19).
These provisions do not apply to a foreigner whose act does not violate the rules of international law (Article 19).
Since his act violates the rules of international law, the exception does not apply to him, and Lebanese law applies.