Article 22Retroactive effect of penal laws

Act No. 3815 · Revised Penal CodeKey provision

ELI5— what this means for you

Penal laws have retroactive effect if they are favorable to the accused — i.e., if a new law reduces the penalty for a crime you already committed, you can benefit from it, as long as you are not a habitual delinquent.

Official text — Act No. 3815

Retroactive effect of penal laws.

-Penal laws shall have a retroactive effect in so far as they favor the person guilty of a felony, who is not a habitual criminal, as this term is defined in rule 5 of article 62 of this Code, although at the time of the publication of such laws a final sentence has been pronounced and the convict is serving the same.

Source: lawphil.net (Act No. 3815 as amended)

← Article 21 All articles Article 23 →

Revised Penal Code — All Articles →Civil Code of the Philippines →Labor Code of the Philippines →All Philippine Laws →

RELATED RIGHTS

Criminal Law

Rights of Arrested Persons Act (RA 7438) — BatasKo ELI5

Criminal Law

Anti-Rape Law of 1997 (RA 8353) — BatasKo ELI5

Criminal Law

Death Penalty Abolition (RA 9346) — BatasKo ELI5

Criminal Law

Anti-Torture Act of 2009 (RA 9745) — BatasKo ELI5

Legal disclaimer: BatasKo provides general legal information, not legal advice. Criminal law has serious consequences — for advice on your specific situation, consult a licensed Filipino lawyer or the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) at pao.gov.ph.

Related