ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

French penal code

The French Penal Code is like a set of rules that tell people what is considered a crime in France. It's a big book that has all the laws written down in it.

Let's imagine you're playing a game with your friends and someone takes a toy that belongs to you without asking. That's not very nice, right? In France, that's actually considered a crime! It's called theft. The Penal Code says that stealing something from someone else is wrong and against the law.

And you know that rule your parents always tell you to follow? "Don't hit your friends!" Well, in France, hitting someone on purpose is also considered a crime. It's called assault. If someone hits you, you can tell the police and they will use the Penal Code to decide if the person who hit you broke the law.

The Penal Code also tells people what punishment they can get if they break the law. So if someone steals something, they might have to go to jail or pay a fine to make up for what they did.

Overall, the French Penal Code is like a big rulebook that helps keep everyone safe by making sure people follow the rules and don't break the law.