PENAL CODE of the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste Within the general performance of public duties, the Code criminalizes conduct by public officials who commit crimes of corruption, embezzlement, abuse of power or public force or unlawful involvement in public affairs by anyone holding public office. This Penal Code broadens the concept of public official to include other analogous situations such as officials of international organizations, foreign public officials performing activities in the country or any person called to perform or participate in an activity included in public administrative or juridical office. Title VII provides a legal definition of crimes of forgery of documents, technical reports, currency and stamps or franks, weights and measures, office stamps, currency plates and paper, describing the respective penalties according to the nature, evidentiary or trust value or public use or disposal of the forged objects, providing for seizure and forfeiture and loss of objects used for said purpose. Lastly, Title VIII defines crimes against the economy, providing for criminalization of money laundering, following the most recent doctrine on criminalization of antieconomic activities, tax fraud and smuggling and evasion of duties, regarding customs or border issues. The Code maintains criminal punishment for disobedience of requisition of assets ordered by the Government as well as behavior likely to disturb, harm or hinder performance of certain public acts such as public competitive exams, tenders or court auctions. Throughout this Code, there is an attempt to strike a balance between the abstract criminal framework, addressing the type of crime and its severity, with the hierarchy of legal interests protected by each article and the maximum limits established for prison sentences. Another factor characterizing the legislative alternatives chosen in the Penal Code is the differentiated treatment given to more serious crimes, where, generally speaking, the only penalty provided is a prison sentence. As a rule, for less serious crimes, on the other hand, the definition of the crime usually enables the court, according to the circumstances, to decide on either the alternative of imprisonment or penalty of fine, enshrining as criminal guidance policy the acknowledgment of a fine as an autonomous penalty and not complementary to the main penalty. The approval of this present Code provides the Timorese State with yet another modern and adequate legal instrument to provide criminal law services of the highest quality whilst respecting fundamental rights of its citizens, obliging magistrates, public defenders, attorneys, court officers and other legal actors who make these legal instruments the tools of their daily work to engage in ongoing education, strengthening the national legal system and the Democratic Rule of Law. 7