The 5 pillars of

criminal justice
system
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
The CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM is the
machinery of any government in the control
and prevention of crimes and criminality. It is
imposed the pillars of justice such as: The LAW
ENFORCEMENT Pillar (POLICE) The COURT
Pillar The PROSECUTION Pillar, and The
CORRECTION Pillar, and The COMMUNITY
Pillar.
 The First Pillar

Law Enforcement

To this group, belongs the policemen, National Bureau of

Investigation agents, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Agents,
the military, Bureau of customs police, Bureau immigration
officers, Bureau of Internal Revenue examiners, Commission on
Audit auditors, ombudsman fact-finding investigators, commission
on Human Right Investigators, Land Transport office and Traffic
enforcement, etc.
 The First Pillar

Law Enforcement

They enforce the law by ensuring compliance therewith, conduct

investigations to uncover commissions of crimes and violations of laws,
file criminal cases before the prosecutor’s (fiscal’s) office (if offender is
not a government employee/official) or the Office of the Ombudsman
(if the offender is a government employee/official), and testify in court
if criminal charge is lodged in Court by the prosecutor’s office or the
office of the Ombudsman.
 The Second Pillar
The PROSECUTION
• To this group belongs to:
• 1. city, provincial
• 2. Regional State Prosecutor of the Department of Justice,
• 3. the investigation and prosecutor of the office of the Ombudsman.

• They conduct preliminary investigations (if the respondent was not caught
in the committing the crime) to determine whether or not there is
probable cause (reasonable ground) to prosecute the respondent in court.
If they found probable cause, they lodge a criminal charge against the
respondent before court. Otherwise, they dismiss the case.
 The Third Pillar
The court’s
• To this belongs the Municipal Trial Courts (for crimes punishable by imprisonment not
exceeding six (6) years ), the shari’a circuit courts in the ARMM ( for criminal volations
of the Muslim Code)
• The Regional Trial Court ( for crimes committed by imprisonment of more than six
years , and appeals from the dicisions of the Municipal Trial Courts),
• The Sandiganbayan (for the crimes committed by government official with salary
grade 27 and above regardless of the penalty prescribed for the offense charged, and
appeals from the decisions of the Regional Trial Court in criminal cases against
government employees below salary grade 27),
• The court of appeals ( for appeals from the decisions of the Regional Trial Court in
criminal cases against non government people), and the supreme Court (for appeals,
Sandiganbayan and automatic review of decisios of the Regional Trial Courts and the
sandiganbayan where the penalty imposed is reclusion perpetua or death).
 The fourth pillars

The CORRECTION

As the fourth Pillar of criminal justice system is considered as

the weakest pillar due its failure to deter individuals in
committing crimes as well as the reformation of inmates.
Correction takes over once the accused, after having been
found guilty, is meted out the penalty for the crime he
committed. He can apply for probation or he could be turned
over to a non-institutional or institutional agency or facility for
custodial treatment and rehabilitation.
 The fourth pillars
The CORRECTION
To this group belongs the various Jails (Municipal, city, Provincial Jails),
the Bureau of Corrections (in Muntinlupa) and other correctional facilities.
While the criminal case is pending in court, the accused shall be detained
at the Municipal, City or Provincial Jail unless he posts a bail bond for his
provisional liberty and if the offense is bailable. After conviction, the
convict will be sent to the Bureau of Corrections to serve his sentence.
Our criminal justice being also a corrective one, the correction officials are
mandated to see to it that the convict is reformed and is able to re-
integrate himself into the community.
 The Fifth Pillar’s
The COMMUNITY
The Filipino community procedures our law enforce ( policemen,
traffic enforcers, NBI agents, PDEA agents, COA auditors, Ombudsman
fact-finding investigators, etc. ); prosecutors ( DOJ and Ombudsman
prosetors/investigators); Judges (Municipal Trial Courts, Regional Trial
Courts and Sharia Courts); Justice (Sandigan bayan, Court of Tax
Appeals and the Supreme Court); and correction officials and personnel
( municipal jails, The Bureau of Corrections ( Muntinlupa ) and other
correctional facility).
A rotten community will always produce rotten law enforcers,
prosecutors, Judges, Justices and correction officials. The spring cannot
rise above its source.
 The Fifth Pillar’s
The COMMUNITY
Members of the community are also the victims of crimes, director indirect.
They are also the beneficiaries of an efficient and effective criminal justice
system in the form of a peaceful and fear-free environment.
The community is also the greatest source of information about the
commission of a crime. It is from the community that most witnesses come,
including victims and whistleblowers.
Most crimes against property (theft, robbery, etc.) are dismissed because
the victim does not testify in court, especially when the stolen property is
recovery. Hence, thieves and robbers are set free, free again to steal and
rob.
THANK YOU and
GODBLESS!

ALVIN FERNANDEZ BRUAN, Rcrim.