For the subversive criminal acts by priests and nuns, commutation called genzoku (laicization, a punishment equivalent to or heavier than imprisonment) or kushi (penal servitude equivalent to flogging or whipping) was adopted and gozai (five criminal punishments) which were the criminal charges in the ritsuryo system were not applied.
僧侶による破戒行為・犯罪に対しては還俗（徒罪相当以上）もしくは苦使（杖罪・笞罪相当）と呼ばれる閏刑が採用され、律令法体系における刑事罰である五罪が採用されることは無かった。