Article 11 Flashcards
What is Article 11 of the Revised Penal Code?
Article 11. Justifying circumstances. - The following do not incur any criminal liability:
- Anyone who acts in defense of his person or rights, provided that the following circumstances concur;
First. Unlawful aggression.
Second. Reasonable necessity of the means employed to prevent or repel it.
Third. Lack of sufficient provocation on the part of the person defending himself.
- Any one who acts in defense of the person or rights of his spouse, ascendants, descendants, or legitimate, natural or adopted brothers or sisters, or his relatives by affinity in the same degrees and those consanguinity within the fourth civil degree, provided that the first and second requisites prescribed in the next preceding circumstance are present, and the further requisite, in case the revocation was given by the person attacked, that the one making defense had no part therein.
- Anyone who acts in defense of the person or rights of a stranger, provided that the first and second requisites mentioned in the first circumstance of this Article are present and that the person defending be not induced by revenge, resentment, or other evil motive.
- Any person who, in order to avoid an evil or injury, does not act which causes damage to another, provided that the following requisites are present;
First. That the evil sought to be avoided actually exists;
Second. That the injury feared be greater than that done to avoid it;
Third. That there be no other practical and less harmful means of preventing it.
- Any person who acts in the fulfillment of a duty or in the lawful exercise of a right or office.
- Any person who acts in obedience to an order issued by a superior for some lawful purpose.
Define Imputability
Imputability is the quality by which an act may be ascribed to a person as its author or owner. It implies that the act committed has been freely and consciously done and may, therefore, be put down to the doer as his very own.
Define Responsibility
Responsibility is the obligation of suffering the consequences of crime. It is the obligation of taking the penal and civil consequences of the crime.
Distinguish Imputability from Responsibility
Imputability implies that a deed may be imputed to a person. Responsibility implies that the person must take the consequences of such deed.
Define Guilt
Guilt is an element of responsibility, for a man cannot be made to answer for the consequences of a crime unless he is guilty.
Define Justifying Circumstances
are those where the act of a person is said to be in accordance with law, so that such person is deemed not to have transgressed the law and is free from both criminal and civil liability.
What is the basis of justifying circumstances?
The law recognizes the non-existence of a crime by expressly stating in the opening sentence of Article 11 that the persons therein mentioned “do not incur any criminal liability”.
What are the requisites of self-defense?
- Unlawful aggression
- Reasonable necessity of the means employed to prevent or repel it
- Lack of sufficient provocation on the part of the person defending himself.
What are the two kinds of agression? Give their definitions
- Lawful Aggression - The fulfillment of a duty or the exercise of a right in a more or less violent manner is an aggression, but it is lawful
- Unlawful Aggression - equivalent to assault or at least threatened assault of an immediate and imminent kind
Under unlawful aggression, what are the two classifications of “Peril to one’s life”?
- Actual - that the danger must be present, that is, actually in existence
- Imminent - that the danger is on the point of happening. It is not required that the attack already begins, for it may be too late.
What does peril to one’s limb mean?
When a person is attacked, he is in imminent danger of death or bodily harm. It may be actual or imminent
Is retaliation an act of self-defense? Why?
No. In retaliation, the aggression that was begun by the injured party already ceased to exist when the accused attacked him.
Does the act of pulling “something” out constitute unlawful aggression? Why?
No. The act of pulling something out cannot amount to unlawful aggression or physical force or actual use of weapon, or even threat or intimidating attitude since there is no peril to one’s life.
Is actual physical force or actual use of weapon considered unlawful or lawful aggression?
Unlawful. The person defending himself must have been attacked with actual physical force or with actual use of weapon.
Does “foot-kick greeting” constitute an unlawful aggression? Why?
No. It is not a serious or real attack on a person’s safety.
Does a slap on the face constitute unlawful aggression? Why?
Yes. The face represents a person and his dignity. Slapping it is a serious personal attack.
If the aggressor flees, is it still considered unlawful aggression? Why?
No. When lawful aggression which has begun no longer exists because the aggressor runs away, the one making a defense has no more right to kill or even wound the former aggressor.
Does unlawful aggression exist when there is an agreement to fight? Why?
No. The aggression is reciprocal and legitimate as between two contending parties but the challenge to a fight must be accepted.
When aggression takes place ahead of the agreed time and place, is that unlawful?
Yes. When there is a mutual agreement to fight, an aggression ahead of the stipulated time and place would be unlawful.
What are the three classes of defense mentioned in Article 11, Paragraphs 1,2, and 3?
- Defense of woman’s honor
- Defense of property
- Defense of home
When intent to attack is manifest, does picking up a weapon constitute unlawful aggression? Why?
Yes. When the picking up of a weapon is preceded by circumstances indicating the intention of the deceased to use in in attacking the defendant, such act is considered an unlawful aggression.
What is the doctrine of rational equivalence?
Reasonable necessity of the means employed does not imply material commensurability between the means of attack and defense.
What are the two considerations for necessity of the course of action taken?
- Place and occasion of the assault considered.
- The darkness of the night and the surprise which characterized the assault considered.
Does the person defending expected t control his blow? Why?
No. The person defending himself cannot be expected to think clearly so as to control his blow.
The reasonableness of the means employed will depend upon
- The nature and quality of the weapons:
-Knife or dagger against a club
-Firearm against a dagger or knife
-Pocket knife against a cane
-Gun against a bolo
-Bolo or knife against a stick
-First blows - Physical condition, character, and size
- Other circumstances considered
What are the four cases in which the third requisite of self-defense considered present?
- When no provocation at all was given to the aggressor by the person defending himself; or
- When, even if a provocation was given, it was not sufficient; or
- When, even if the provocation was sufficient, it was not given by the person defending himself; or
- When, even if provocation was given by the person defending himself, it was not proximate and immediate to the act of aggression.
Explain the Battered Woman Syndrome
Who is repeatedly subjected to any forceful physical or psychological behavior by a man in order to coerce her to do something he wants her to do without concern for her rights. Include wives or women in any form of intimate relationship with men.
What are the three phases in the cycle of violence under the battered woman syndrome?
- The tension-building phase - minor battering occurs
- The acute battering incident - characterized by brutality, destructiveness, and, sometimes, death.
- The tranquil, loving (non-violent) phase: the couple experience profound relief. The batterer may show a tender and nurturing behavior towards the partner
What is the effect of battery on appellant?
She believes that he is capable of killing her, and that there is no escape. They feel unsafe and suffer from pervasive anxiety, and usually fail to leave the relationship due to the lack of means of self-support and she fears she would be hurt more if she leaves.
Who are the relatives that can be defended?
- Spouse
- Ascendants
- Descendants
- Legitimate, natural or adopted brothers and sisters, or relatives by affinity in the same degrees
- Relatives by consanguinity within the fourth civil degree
What does relatives by affinity mean?
Relatives by affinity because of marriage:
Parents, son, brother, and sister in laws.
What does relatives by consanguinity mean?
Consanguinity refers to blood relatives. Brother and sisters are within the second civil degree; uncle and niece or aunt and nephew are within the third civil degree; and first cousins are within the fourth civil degree.
What are the requisites of defense of relatives?
- Unlawful aggression;
- Reasonable necessity of the means employed to prevent or repel it; and
- In case the provocation was given by the person attacked, the one making a defense had no part therein.
What are the requisites in defense of stranger?
- Unlawful aggression;
- Reasonable necessity of the means employed to prevent or repel it; and
- The person defending be not induced by revenge, resentment, or other evil motive
What is the basis in defense of a stranger?
What one may do in his defense, another may do for him.
What are the requisites in fulfillment of duty or lawful exercise of right or office?
- That the accused acted in the performance of a duty or in the lawful exercise of a right or office
- That the injury caused or the offense committed be the necessary consequence of the due performance of duty or the lawful exercise of such right to office.
What are the requisites for obedience to an order issued for some lawful purpose?
- That an order has been issued by a superior.
- That such order must be for some lawful purpose
- That the means used by the subordinate to carry out said order is lawful.
What is Article 429 of the Civil Code?
The owner or lawful possessor of a thing has the right to exclude any person from the enjoyment and disposal thereof. For this purpose, he may use such force as may be reasonably necessary to repel or prevent an actual or threatened unlawful physical invasion or usurpation of property.
The circumstances affecting criminal liability (5)
- Justifying circumstances
- Exempting circumstances, and other absolutory causes
- Mitigating circumstances
- Aggravating circumstances
- Alternative circumstances
Define imputability
The quality by which an act may be ascribed to a person as its author or owner. It implies that the act committed has been FREELY and CONSCIOUSLY done and may, therefore, be put down to the doer as his very own
Define responsibility
The obligation of SUFFERING the CONSEQUENCES of a crime. It is the obligation of taking the penal and civil consequences of the crime
Distinguish imputability from responsibility
Imputability implies that a deed may be imputed to a person, responsibility implies that the person must take the consequence of such a deed
Define guilty
It is an element of responsibility, for a man cannot be made to answer for the consequences of a crime unless he is guilty
Define justifying circumstances
Those where the act of a person is said to be in accordance with law, so that such person is deemed not to have transgressed the law and is free from both criminal and civil liability
The only paragraph in Article 11 of RPC that provides where civil liability is borne by the persons benefited by the act
Paragraph 4 of Article 11 of the RPC
The basis of justifying circumstances
The law recognizes the non-existance of a crime by expressly stating in the opening sentence of Article 11 that the persons therein mentioned “do not incur any criminal liability”
What are the justifying circumstances as provided by Article 11 of the RPC (6)
- Anyone who acts in defense of his person or rights
- Anyone who acts in defense of the person or rights of his spouse, ascendants, descendants, or legitime, natural or adoped brothers or sisters, or of his relatives by affinity in the same degrees, and those by consanguinity within the fourth civil degree
- Anyone who acts in defense of the person or rights of a stranger
- Any person who, in order to avoid an evil or injury, does an act which causes damage to another
- Any person who acts in the fulfillment of a duty or in the lawful exercise of a right or office
- Any person who acts in obedience to an order issued by a superior for some lawful purpose
In claiming a justifying circumstance, who has the burden of proof?
The accused, in order to avoid criminal liability, to prove that the justfiying circumstance claimed by him to the satisfaction of the court
Does someone who claims a justifying circumstance admit to the commission of the acts?
Yes. Under Article 11, an accused who pleads a justifying circumstance admits to the commission of the acts, which would otherwise engender criminal liability. However, accused asserts that he is justified in committing the acts
Is it enough to claim self-defense as a justifying circumstance when prosecution evidence is weak?
No. The claim of self-defense must be proved with certainty by sufficient, satisfactory and convincing evidence
Requisites of self-defense (3)
URL
1. Unlawful aggression
2. Reasonable necessity of the means employed to prevent or repel it
3. Lack of sufficient provocation on the part of the person defending himself
English for sine qua non
Without which, not. Meaning it is an indispensible requisite/requirement.
It is the sine qua non for self-defense
Unlawful aggression
Two (2) kinds of aggression
- Lawful
- Unlawful
Define unlawful aggression
Assault or at least threatened assault of an immediate and imminent kind. There is unlawful aggression when the peril to one’s life, limb, or right is either actual or imminent
Requisites for peril to one’s life (2)
- Actual - That the danger must be present,that is, actually in existence
- Imminent - That the danger is on the point of happening. It is not required that the attack already begins, for it may be too late