According to investigations into punishment records of the time, although there are cases of severe punishment for lawbreakers among very small numbers of samurai, the punishment was not for violation of the law but for violation of the official notice, which can be interpreted as severe punishment being more linked with 'rebellion' and 'treason' than law-breaking.
当時の処罰記録の調査によると、ごく少数の武家階級の生類憐みの令違反に対しては厳罰が下された事例も発見できるものの、それらの多くは生類憐みの令に違反したためというよりは、お触れに違反したためという、いわば「反逆罪」的な要素をもっての厳罰であるという解釈がある。