It refers to the principle in which a family shares responsibility for a crime which is committed by one of its members, and it is a form of collective punishment.
Traditional Irish law required the payment of a tribute (Éraic) in reparation for murder or other major crimes.
[citation needed] Alternatively, a crime punishable by blood revenge can be commuted to a severe fine if the family of the offended party agrees to it.
The collective payment of fines for such crimes is viewed as a justified contribution to the welfare of the injured party rather than a penalty to the perpetrator.
When the offense was punishable by death by severing the body at the waist, the offender's parents, siblings, spouse, and children were executed.
When the offense was punishable by death and public display of the body, the offender's family was subject to imprisonment with hard labor.
In the case of Confucian scholar Fang Xiaoru, his students and peers were uniquely included as a tenth group.
[12] The association system was introduced with the North Korean state's founding in 1948, having previously existed under the Joseon kingdom.
This principle is based on the idea that individuals should not be held accountable for the actions of others, especially their family members, who are presumed to be innocent unless proven otherwise.
Despite this, pro-Palestinian groups accuse the demolition of the homes of terrorists, which directly led to deaths, as a form of kin punishment, since family members are also at risk of being harmed by this measure.