INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL LAW - READING SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL LAW - READING SUMMARY

One. What is Criminal Law?

Criminal Law is the branch of law that:

· defines crimes;

· explains their nature; and

· provides their punishment.

A crime is an act or omission punishable by law.

Important:

A person cannot generally be criminally punished simply because an act is immoral or wrong. There must be a law defining and punishing the act. The Philippines does not recognize common-law crimes.