This set of laws was a customary one, passed down through the generations, and not codified and written down until the 19th century by Shtjefėn Gjeēov. Although Kanuni is attributed to the Albanian prince Lekė Dukagjini, the rules evolved over time as a way to bring laws and rule to these lands. The code was divided into several sections: Church, Family, Marriage, House, Livestock and Property, Work, Transfer of Property, Spoken Word, Honor, Damages, Law Regarding Crimes, Judicial Law, and Exemptions and Exceptions.
Some of the most infamous rules specified how murder was supposed to be handled, and it often led to blood feuds that lasted until all the men of the two involved families were killed. These rules have recently resurfaced in northern Albania, since people have lost faith in the powerless local government and police. There are organizations that try to mediate between feuding families and try to get them to "pardon the blood" (Albanian: me e fal gjakun), but often the only resort is for men of age to stay in their homes, which are considered a safe refuge by the Kanuni, or flee the country.