CRIMINAL LAW MOCK BAR QUESTIONNAIRE

SYLLABUS ITEM #1

1. Distinguish, in their respective concepts and legal implications, between crimes mala
in se and crimes mala prohibits.

2. Generally, how are penal laws construed?

3. What is the PRO REO DOCTRINE?
4. Peter, married to Alicia, contracted another marriage with Kalinda in Singapore.
Thereafter, Peter and Kalinda returned to the Philippines and lived as husband and
wife in the hometown of Peter in Lipa, Batangas. Can Peter be prosecuted for
bigamy?

5. After drinking one (1) case of San Miguel beer and taking two plates of "pulutan",
Binoy, a Filipino seaman, stabbed to death Sio My, a Singaporean seaman, aboard
M/V "Princess of the Pacific", an overseas vessel which was sailing in the South China
Sea. The vessel, although Panamanian registered, is owned by Lucio Sy, a rich
Filipino businessman. When M/V "Princess of the Pacific" reached a Philippine Port at
Cebu City, the Captain of the vessel turned over the assailant Binoy to the Philippine
authorities. An information for homicide was filed against Binoy in the Regional Trial
Court of Cebu City. He moved to quash the information for lack of jurisdiction. If you
were the Judge, will you grant the motion? Why?

MCQ:

1. When committed outside the Philippine territory, our courts DO NOT have
jurisdiction over the crime of
A. treason.
B. piracy.
C. espionage.
D. rebellion

2. What court has jurisdiction when an Indonesian crew murders the Filipino captain on
board a vessel of Russian registry while the vessel is anchored outside the
breakwaters of the Manila bay?
A. The Indonesian court.
B. The Russian court.
C. The Philippine court.
D. Any court that first asserts jurisdiction over the case

3. Which of the following is NOT a Constitutional limitation on the power of Congress to
enact penal laws?
A. Equal Protection
B. Rule of Prospectivity
C. Due Process
D. Bill of Attainder


4. Which of the following is an EX POST FACTO LAW?
A. Makes criminal an act done after the passage of the law and which was
innocent when done, and punishes such an act
B. Guarantees a person accused of a crime some lawful protection to which he
has become entitled
C. Alters the legal rules of evidence and authorizes conviction upon less or
different testimony than the law required at the time of the commission of the
offense
D. Changes the crime and inflicts a lesser punishment than the law annexed to
the crime when committed

5. Which of the following is NOT a guarantee of non-imposition of cruel and unusual
punishment?
A. An act prohibiting the imposition of death penalty in the Philippines
B. An act repealing the law imposing lethal injection
C. An act imposing punishment of reclusion perpetua for offenses under any act
using the nomenclature of the RPC
D. An act retaining death penalty for those already imposed, particularly decided
cases involving heinous crimes