Sanction is a term with two different meanings, which can mean both the punishment for violating a law (penalty), as well as the act of approval of something through formal channels.
The word sanction originated from the Latin sanctium, which etymologically means “established by law”.
The term “sanction” is intrinsically related to Law and Justice, whether in the sense of “punitive action” or “approval”.
legal sanction
In the legal sphere, the sanction can be considered both a prize and a penalty.
When a decision is unfavorable to someone, it is called a penalty; when it becomes favorable, it is called an award sanction.
penal sanction
The penal sanction is the sentence given to an individual who violated any rule established in the legislation of the society in which he/she is, that is, committed an unlawful act.
In order to determine the criminal sanction, the offender must go through a trial process.
According to the Brazilian Penal Code, criminal sanctions can be of three types: restrictive of freedom, restrictive of rights or fine.
presidential sanction
The presidential sanction is when the head of the Executive Power, that is, the President of the Republic, sanctions (approves) a bill that has already been approved by the Chamber of Deputies and senators.
The president has a fifteen-day limit to sanction or veto the bill, if he does not comment, the text in question is automatically sanctioned.
In short, when the President of the Republic manifests and sanctions the project, this act is called express sanction. However, when it does not manifest itself, it is called tacit sanction.
disciplinary sanction
Disciplinary sanctions, as well as administrative sanctions, occur when there is an infringement of administrative norms and laws, of the public service, for example.
In this case, offenders are subjected to punishment so that they can learn to respect the institution's internal discipline, preventing future infractions.
See also the meaning of Judicial power.