Final answer:
The principle of 'no punishment without law' is evident in the legal actions taken against bank robbers, as bank robbery violates explicit property laws with established penalties. In contrast, unethical but not illegal actions, like cheating on a spouse, do not result in legal punishment as they are not legislated against.
Step-by-step explanation:
Dicey's principle of no punishment without law implies that individuals can only be penalized for actions that are explicitly forbidden by law and for which there are established penalties. For instance, if someone were to rob a bank, they would be punished because it is a clear violation of property law, an act that is legislated against and has specific punitive measures associated with it. Monetary crimes receive such punishment because money and private property are highly valued in society, and laws are in place to protect these values.
On the contrary, unethical acts such as breaking a promise to a friend or cheating on a spouse are considered immoral by many but are not illegal; thus, they do not result in formal punishment under the law. These examples represent a clear distinction between the enforcement of formal norms and actions governed by social norms or morality that do not have legal implications.