Homicide Crimes
Explanation
The Lebanese Penal Code regulates homicide crimes and divides them according to criminal intent and accompanying circumstances. The basic rule for intentional homicide [homicide intentionnel] punishes the perpetrator with hard labour from fifteen to twenty years. This penalty is aggravated to twenty to twenty-five years if the killing is committed by one spouse against the other.
The penalty is increased to life hard labour [travaux forcés à perpétuité] in specific cases (Article 548). These cases include committing murder for a base motive, obtaining a benefit from a misdemeanor, or mutilating the corpse. This penalty also applies if the victim is a juvenile under fifteen, or if the killing targets multiple persons.
The penalty reaches death [peine de mort] if intentional homicide is accompanied by highly dangerous circumstances (Article 549). These include premeditated murder [préméditation], facilitating a felony or misdemeanor, or targeting the perpetrator's ascendants or descendants. The death penalty also applies in cases of torture, killing an official, sectarian motives, using explosives, or evading a crime.
The law also addresses causing death without the intention to kill [coups et blessures ayant entraîné la mort sans intention de la donner]. Whoever causes a person's death by intentional beating or violence faces at least five years of hard labour (Article 550). This penalty increases to at least seven years if coupled with circumstances requiring life hard labour or death (Articles 548 and 549).
Official legal articles
replace · 1959-02-18: Open the official text
suspend · 1994-03-24: Open the official text
insert · 2014-05-15: Open the official text
insert · 2021-01-07: Open the official text
insert · 1951-01-17: Open the official text
replace · 1959-02-18: Open the official text
repeal · 1977-07-07: Open the official text
insert · 1983-11-10: Open the official text
suspend · 1994-03-24: Open the official text
replace · 1951-01-17: Open the official text
insert · 1977-07-07: Open the official text
insert · 1983-11-10: Open the official text
Think deeper
How does the law's treatment of intentional homicide differ when the victim is a spouse compared to when the victim is one of the perpetrator's ascendants?
Flashcards
What is the basic penalty for intentional homicide?
Hard labour from fifteen to twenty years.
What is the penalty for someone who intentionally kills their spouse?
Hard labour from twenty to twenty-five years.
When is an intentional killer punished with life hard labour due to the victim's age?
If the killing is committed against a juvenile under fifteen years of age.
What is the penalty for premeditated murder?
Death.
What is the penalty for causing the death of a person by beating without the intention to kill?
Hard labour for at least five years.
When does the penalty for causing death without the intention to kill increase to at least seven years?
If the act is coupled with circumstances requiring life hard labour or death for intentional homicide (Articles 548 and 549).
What is the penalty for intentional homicide using explosive materials?
Death.
Practice questions
A person intentionally killed a human being for a base motive. What is the stipulated penalty?
The law punishes intentional homicide with life hard labour if committed for a base motive (Article 548).
A person struck another with the intent to harm them, but the blow led to their death without the killer intending it. What is the basic penalty?
Anyone who causes the death of a person by beating without the intention to kill is punished with hard labour for at least five years (Article 550).
Which of the following cases is punished by death in intentional homicide crimes?
Intentional homicide is punished with death if committed against one of the perpetrator's ascendants (Article 549). The other cases are punished by life hard labour.
A person intentionally killed his wife. What is the penalty imposed by the law?
The penalty shall be from twenty to twenty-five years if the act of killing is committed by one spouse against the other (Article 547).
A criminal killed a person and mutilated their corpse after the killing. What is the penalty?
The law punishes with life hard labour if the criminal proceeds to mutilate the corpse after the killing (Article 548).
A person caused the death of an official while exercising their function as a result of an intentional beating but without the intention to kill. What is the penalty?
The penalty is increased to at least seven years if causing death is coupled with an aggravating circumstance, such as the act occurring against an official during their function (Article 550).
Case problems
Samir placed an explosive material in his neighbor's car with the intent to kill him, and the car exploded, leading to the neighbor's death. What is the committed crime and what is its penalty according to the law?
Model answer
Samir committed the crime of intentional homicide.
Since he used explosive materials to execute the crime, the penalty for homicide with explosives applies to him (Article 549).
The law imposes the death penalty for intentional homicide if committed using explosive materials.
Self-grading rubric
Rami quarreled with another person in the street, so he struck him with a wooden stick with the intent to harm him only. This blow led to the man's death, and it later became apparent that he was Rami's father. What penalty does Rami face?
Model answer
Rami did not intend to kill but performed an intentional act leading to death, so he is punished for causing death (Article 550).
The basic penalty for this crime is hard labour for at least five years.
However, the victim is Rami's father, meaning one of the perpetrator's ascendants, which is an aggravating circumstance for homicide (Article 549).
Therefore, the penalty shall not be less than seven years of hard labour due to the act being coupled with an aggravating circumstance (Article 550).