Is it against code to splice wires inside of the load center?
National Electrical Code 2011
Chapter 3 Wiring Methods and Materials
Article 312 Cabinets, Cutout Boxes, and Meter Socket Enclosures
I. Installation
312.8 Switch and Overcurrent Device Enclosures with Splices, Taps, and Feed- Through Conductors. The wiring space of enclosures for switches or overcurrent devices
shall be permitted for conductors feeding through, spliced, or tapping
off to other enclosures, switches, or overcurrent devices where all of
the following conditions are met:
(1)   The total of all conductors installed at any cross section of the
wiring space does not exceed 40 percent of the cross-sectional area of
that space.
(2)   The total area of all conductors, splices, and taps installed at
any cross section of the wiring space does not exceed 75 percent of
the cross-sectional area of that space.
(3)   A warning label is applied to the enclosure that identifies the closest            disconnecting means for any feed-through conductors.

This is the applicable code section. It used to say no splices were allowed unless there is enough room. This led many, many folks to simply state &quot;NO splices allowed&quot;. They were wrong.
You'd be amazed at what it would physically take to reach that 75% number of fill.
So basically yes, splices are FINE in a breaker panel.