Article 5
ELI5— what this means for you
If a court finds that an act is not covered by the RPC but still seems unjust, it must still render judgment — and report the matter to the executive branch so a law can be passed.
Official text — Act No. 3815
Duty of the court in connection with acts which should be repressed but which are not covered by the law, and in cases of excessive penalties.
-Whenever a court has knowledge of any act which it may deem proper to repress and which is not punishable by law, it shall render the proper decision, and shall report to the Chief Executive, through the Department of Justice, the reasons which induce the court to believe that said act should be made the subject of penal legislation.
In the same way the court shall submit to the Chief Executive, through the Department of Justice, such statement as may be deemed proper, without suspending the execution of the sentence, when a strict enforcement of the provisions of this Code would result in the imposition of a clearly excessive penalty, taking into consideration the degree of malice and the injury caused by the offense.
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