Criminal Law Week 1-Prelims
Criminal Law Week 1-Prelims
5. Should commit any of the crimes against The Revised Penal Code (Act No.
national security and the law of nations. 3815, as amended) An Act Revising
the Penal Code and other Penal Laws
PROSPECTIVE- that a penal law cannot
make an act punishable in a manner in The RPC, as enacted by the PH
which it was not punishable when Legislature, was approved on December 8,
committed. 1930. It took effect on January 1, 1932. It
consists of two books, namely: Book 1 and
Article 366 of RPC provides that, crimes are Book 2.
punished under the laws in force at the time
of their commission. Book 1 consists of two parts: (a)
basic principles affecting criminal liability
(Arts 1-20) and (b) the provisions on
penalties including criminal and civil
Exception: Whenever a new statute liability (Arts 21-113)
dealing with crime establishes conditions
more lenient or favorable to the accused. Book 2 consists of defined felonies with
corresponding penalties, classified and
Exception to the exception: (a) Where grouped under 14 different titles.
the new law is expressly made inapplicable
to the pending actions or existing causes of
action. (b) Where the offender is a habitual
criminal Two theories of CLAW
ACT- any bodily movement tending to The act or omission The act or omission
produce some effect in the external world. of the offender is of the offender is not
malicious or he has malicious. It is
But the act must be one which is defined by
the intention to unintentional, it
the RPC as consisting felony. The act must cause injury or harm being simply the
be external, hence, a criminal thought or a incident of another
mere intention, no matter how immoral or act performed
improper it may be, will never constitute a without malice.
felony.
OMISSION- the failure to perform a Question: Gummy, who was not a medical
positive duty which one is bound to do. practitioner, tied a girl, wrapped her feet
There must be a law requiring the doing or with rags saturated with petroleum and
performance of an act. thereafter set them on fire, causing injuries.
His defense was that he undertook to render
Examples: medical assistance in good faith and to the
best of his ability to cure her ulcer. Is Allan
1. A person who fails to render assistance to
liable?
any person whom he finds in an
uninhabited place wounded or in danger of Answer: Yes. While there was no intention
dying, is liable for abandonment of persons to cause an evil but to provide remedy, the
in danger. defendant is liable to the injuries through
imprudence.
2. Every person owing allegiance to the PH,
without being a foreigner, and having
knowledge of any conspiracy against the
government, who does not disclose and Imprudence vs Negligence
make known the same to the proper
Imprudence Negligence (Lack
authority, is liable for misprision of treason.
(Lack of Skill) of Foresight)
Note: Mere passive presence at the scene of Indicates a
Indicates deficiency
deficiency of action of perception
another’s crime, mere silence and failure to
A person fails to A person fails to pay
give alarm, without evidence of agreement undertake theproper attention
or conspiracy, is not punishable. necessary and to use due
precaution to avoid diligence in
injury or damage foreseeing the
injury or damage
Classification of felonies as to means
Requisites of dolo or malice
which they may be committed
1. Freedom- When a person acts without
1. Intentional felonies
freedom, he is no longer a human being but