LJD_1104 : Criminal Law I

UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST COLLEGE OF LAW

 CRIMINAL LAW 1
 ATTY. RYAN HARTZELL C. BALISACAN
Course Syllabus
1st Semester, A.Y. 2020-2021
 
Course Description
 
            This is an introductory course on criminal law, aiming to provide the students
with basic knowledge on the laws and jurisprudence that underpin the criminal justice
system. As a foundation course, Criminal Law 1 is envisioned to provide the theoretical
framework through which first year law students can better appreciate the moorings of
the laws that define, qualify and penalize crimes. This course will center on Book 1 of the
Revised Penal Code (with some references to Special Penal Laws, when necessary), and
tackle basic questions such as: What is a crime? What constitutes criminal liability? Who are
liable for crimes, and to what extent? What factors modify, qualify or extinguish criminal
liability? How are crimes penalized? The course will cover, as a minimum, all topics
included in the latest Supreme Court Bar Exam Syllabus on Criminal Law 1.
 
Course Objectives
 
            The primary objective of the course is to introduce the student to the basic
concepts, theories, foundations and frameworks of criminal law. However, the student is
expected to not only gain a mastery of the theoretical material comprising the
substantive foundations of criminal law, but also to acquire the practical skills necessary
to conduct a nuanced analysis of criminal cases from the standpoint of law. More than
mastery of the legal text, the students are expected to acquire and hone analytical
faculties that will help them approach practical crime scenarios with an eye on aspects
thereof that legal practitioners ordinarily deal with. As a minimum, students are expected
to finish this course with the core competencies and knowledge set necessary to sit the
Criminal Law Bar Exam.
 
Course Methodology
 
            Since the legal analysis of criminal acts requires mastery of both theoretical and
practical competencies, the course will be conducted using the Socratic Method. This
will enhance the ability of students to argue and reason, preparing them for actual field
and courtroom scenarios where criminal law plays out in practice. The case method will
also be used extensively to enable the students to distill criminal laws and doctrine from
the lenses of actual cases decided by the Supreme Court. To prepare for the Bar Exam,
all tests in this course shall hew closely to the structure of that exam.
 
            Considering that the course is being offered during an ongoing state of public
health emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the medium of instruction will be
online, with hybrid synchronous and asynchronous modes. Self-paced written exercises
with deadlines will be submitted through Canvas to supplement the synchronous class
sessions (with graded recitations, as in the traditional classes) which will be conducted
primarily through Zoom. Exams will also be administered and proctored online.