The purpose of this paper is to analyze the legal interpretation of criminal law. To this end, both the principles and rules underlying the interpretive methods and the concepts used by judges are examined in order to understand the logical processes involved in the application of criminal law. Also, the decisions of the Supreme Court of Justice of Peru are analyzed in order to understand the axiological process followed by the judges. The conclusion is that the judges have the obligation of clarifying the meaning of the rule in accordance with the literal meaning of the legal text, and that the judges have the obligation of clarifying the meaning of the rule in accordance with the literal meaning of the legal text.El objetivo del presente trabajo es analizar la interpretación jurídica de las normas penales. Para ello, se examinan tanto los principios y reglas subyacentes a los métodos interpretativos como los conceptos empleados por los jueces, con el fin de comprender los procesos lógicos que intervienen en la aplicación de la norma penal. Asimismo, se analizan fallos de la Corte Suprema de Justicia del Perú, para entender el proceso axiológico seguido por los magistrados. Se concluye que los jueces están obligados a esclarecer el significado de la norma conforme al sentido literal del texto legal.

Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú