N.Y. Penal Law § 5.00 : General Purposes, Rules Of Construction, And Definitions — Penal — General Rules Of Construction And Application — Penal law not strictly construed Date: 10 Jun 2016 TEXT PDF Current through 2016 New York Laws, Chapters 1 to 237 The general rule that a penal statute is to be strictly construed does not apply to this chapter, but the provisions herein must be construed according to the fair import of their terms to promote justice and effect the objects of the law. N.Y. Penal Law § 5.00