Dale's Code

Dale's Code (the Lawes Divine, Morall, and Martial, also known as the laws of 1612) is a code enacted in 1612 by the deputy-governor of Virginia, Sir Thomas Dale. The code, among other things, created a rather authoritarian system of government for the Colony of Virginia. It established a "single ruling group" that "held tight control of the colony." The word "Martial", contained in Dale's Code, governed the duties of soldiers, while the terms "Divine" and "Morall" related to crime and punishment. The code provided that capital punishment be given to any colonist who committed rather trivial crimes such as stealing certain property deemed intrinsically valuable to colonial life. Dale's Code remained in force until 1618, and some scholars have theorized that it strongly influenced the justice system for decades afterwards, particularly in the governing and punishment of slaves.