Tennessee § 39-11-104 - Construction of criminal code.

§ 39-11-104. Construction of criminal code.

This title shall be construed according to the fair import of its terms, including reference to judicial decisions and common law interpretations, to promote justice, and effect the objectives of the criminal code. Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 1. Sentencing Commission Comments. The commission intends the language of the sections themselves to be an authoritative statement of the law. Since some of the terms utilized have been clearly defined by judicial decisions, those decisions and common law interpretations should be consulted where necessary. Prior Tennessee law required penal statutes to be strictly construed. This section requires that the statutes be construed by the fair import of their terms. The comments in this code are intended to explain its provisions and to aid in their interpretation. The comments are not authoritative statements, but are evidence of the considerations which prompted the statutory text. Compiler's Notes. The sentencing commission terminated June 30, 1995. Sentencing Commission Comments have been retained, but do not reflect 1995 or subsequent legislation. Law Reviews. State v. Carson: A Misguided Attempt to Retain the Natural and Probable Consequence Doctrine of Accomplice Liability Under the Current Tennessee Code, 29 U. Mem. L. Rev. 273 (1998).