CRIMINAL PROCEDURE Exceptions:
Criminal jurisdiction (elements, Continuing crimes (e.g., estafa,
consideration, relation) kidnapping)
Kinds of jurisdiction in criminal law Cybercrimes (venue may be where
Jurisdiction of various courts data was accessed or victim
Doctrines of jurisdiction resides)
Principles of jurisdiction Special laws may specify venue
rules
What is CRIMINAL JURISDICTION?
3. Jurisdiction over the Person of the
Criminal jurisdiction refers to the legal Accused
authority of a court to hear, try, and
decide a criminal case. It is conferred Acquired through:
by law and cannot be created by
consent or waived by the parties. Arrest (by warrant or in flagrante
delicto)
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF CRIMINAL Voluntary surrender
JURISDICTION Voluntary appearance in court
VENUE IN CRIMINAL CASES
To validly exercise jurisdiction in a
criminal case, a court must have: General Rule:
1. Jurisdiction over the Subject Criminal actions must be filed in the
Matter place where the offense was
committed or where any essential
Based on the nature of the element occurred.
offense and the penalty
prescribed by law. Importance:
Determined by statutes like the
Revised Penal Code, BP 129, and Ensures fair trial and
special laws. convenience for parties
Prevents forum shopping
Example: Affects validity of
proceedings—wrong venue =
MTC/MeTC/MCTC: Offenses lack of jurisdiction
punishable by ≤ 6 years
imprisonment Why It Matters
RTC: Offenses punishable by > 6
years imprisonment A court without jurisdiction
Sandiganbayan: Offenses renders its decisions null and
involving public officials with Salary void.
Grade 27+ Jurisdiction affects:
Double jeopardy (only attaches
2. Jurisdiction over the Territory if the court had valid jurisdiction)
(Venue) Appeals and remedies
Enforceability of judgment
The crime must be committed
within the territorial jurisdiction
of the court.
Venue is jurisdictional in criminal
cases—if the offense occurred
outside the court’s territory, it
cannot try the case.
Effect if
Effect Definition
Missing
Quick Reference Table
cases not long as not
legally expressly
KINDS OF JURISDICTION IN excluded restricted
CRIMINAL LAW
Special Court
Jurisdiction: cannot hear
Effect if Limited to
Effect Definition Handles only unrelated
Missing specific
certain cases cases;
cases
Subject defined by ruling will
Matter law be void
Case is
Jurisdiction: Exclusive Any
Valid void;
Power to Jurisdiction: judgment by
authority decision is
hear cases Sole Only one another
over case null and
based on authority designated court is null
type without
nature or over a case court can due to lack
legal effect
penalty of hear the of
offense case jurisdiction
Personal Concurrent Case may
No valid
Jurisdiction: Jurisdiction: proceed in
trial or Shared
Acquired Two or more any
Authority judgment; authority
over the courts may competent
over proceedings across
accused via validly court; risk of
individuals cannot courts
arrest, handle the forum
legally
summons, or same case shopping
continue
appearance
Territorial Why It Matters
Jurisdiction: Court lacks
Case must authority;
Jurisdiction determines where to
Legal be filed case may
file, who decides, and what
location of where the be
remedies are available.
trial crime dismissed
Filing in the wrong court can lead to
occurred or for improper dismissal or nullity of
an element venue
proceedings.
took place
Case must JURISDICTION OF VARIOUS
Original be filed in COURTS
Initiates Jurisdiction: proper
original Court hears court; SUPREME COURT
proceedings the case for otherwise, it
the first time may be
Original Jurisdiction
dismissed
Appellate Appeal Cases involving ambassadors,
Jurisdiction: becomes public ministers, and consuls
Reviews
Authority to invalid; Petitions for certiorari, prohibition,
lower court
review and higher court mandamus, quo warranto,
decisions
modify lower has no habeas corpus
court rulings basis to act Writs of amparo, habeas data, and
General Court may kalikasan
Broad case Jurisdiction: hear
authority Court various Appellate Jurisdiction
handles all cases as
Appeals on pure questions of law from: Criminal violations of tax and tariff
laws
Court of Appeals
Sandiganbayan Appellate Jurisdiction
Court of Tax Appeals (en banc)
Constitutional Commissions (e.g., Appeals from:
COMELEC, COA)
Decisions of the Commissioner of
COURT OF APPEALS (CA) Internal Revenue or Customs
Secretary of Finance, Trade, or
Original Jurisdiction Agriculture (re: duties and
safeguards)
Petitions for certiorari, prohibition,
mandamus, habeas corpus, quo REGIONAL TRIAL COURTS (RTCs)
warranto
Directed against RTCs, quasi- Original Jurisdiction
judicial agencies (e.g., NLRC, SEC)
Civil cases:
Appellate Jurisdiction
Amounts exceeding ₱2,000,000
Appeals from: Real property with assessed value >
₱20,000 (outside Metro Manila) or >
RTCs and Family Courts ₱50,000 (within Metro Manila)
Quasi-judicial bodies (via Rule 43) Probate, admiralty, and family law
RTCs acting in appellate capacity matters
(via Rule 42)
Criminal cases:
SANDIGANBAYAN
Offenses punishable by > 6 years
Original Jurisdiction imprisonment
Special civil actions (e.g., certiorari,
Criminal and civil cases involving: habeas corpus)
Graft and corruption Appellate Jurisdiction
Violations of RA 3019, RA 1379,
and related laws Appeals from first-level courts
Public officials with Salary Grade (MeTC, MTCC, MTC, MCTC)
27+ or equivalent
First-Level Courts (MeTC, MTCC,
Appellate Jurisdiction MTC, MCTC)
Appeals from RTC decisions in Original Jurisdiction
cases under its exclusive
jurisdiction Civil cases:
COURT OF TAX APPEALS Personal property ≤ ₱2,000,000
Real property with assessed value
Original Jurisdiction ≤ ₱20,000 (outside Metro Manila) or
≤ ₱50,000 (within Metro Manila)
Tax disputes involving: Small claims up to ₱1,000,000
BIR, BOC, and other tax agencies Criminal cases:
Offenses punishable by ≤ 6 years Effect if
imprisonment Effect Definition Missing or
Violations of local ordinances Violated
Doctrine of
SHARI’A COURTS
Ancillary
Related
Jurisdiction:
Shari’a District Courts: Promotes Courts may
issues may
Jurisdiction over Muslim personal judicial be resolved
resolve
laws, including marriage, divorce, efficiency and within the
incidental
and inheritance same case;
stability matters
Shari’a Circuit Courts: Handle related to a
avoids filing
lesser offenses and civil disputes multiple suits.
principal
under Muslim law case.
DOCTRINES OF JURISDICTION- Doctrine of
May result in
Hierarchy of
SUMMARY TABLE dismissal for
Courts:
violating
Higher courts
Effect if Prevents forum procedural
are
Effect Definition Missing or shopping and rules;
approached
Violated confusion undermines
only after
orderly
Doctrine of exhausting
judicial
Adherence remedies in
process.
(Continuity) lower courts.
Case
of
remains
Jurisdiction: PRINCIPLE OF JURISDICTION-
valid; later
Ensures Once a court SUMMARY TABLE
changes
continuity of acquires
(e.g., law
legal jurisdiction, it
amendments, Effect if
proceedings retains it until
party status) Effect Definition Missing or
final
do not divest Violated
resolution—
jurisdiction. State cannot
even if Territoriality
circumstances prosecute or
Principle: A
change later. Defines regulate acts
state has
Doctrine of legal outside its
jurisdiction
Primary Court may authority territory
over acts
Jurisdiction: dismiss or within unless
committed
Courts defer suspend territory another
Prevents within its
to proceedings; principle
premature court borders
administrative premature applies
interference Crimes by
agencies with action may Nationality
special be void or nationals
Principle: A
expertise reversed. abroad may
state may
before acting. Extends go
exercise
Doctrine of jurisdiction unpunished if
jurisdiction
Continuity of Court can still to nationals not covered
over its
Jurisdiction: enforce abroad by host
citizens,
Validates Even after judgment; country or
even when
enforcement of judgment only power to universal
abroad
final judgments becomes modify or laws
final, the court amend is Protects Protective State may be
retains power lost. national Principle: unable to
to execute it. interests Jurisdiction respond to
Effect if
Effect Definition Missing or
Violated
from over acts external
threats committed threats
abroad that without legal
threaten the basis for
state’s extraterritoria
security l action
Passive Victims may
Personality lack legal
Safeguards
Principle: recourse if
citizens
Jurisdiction their home
harmed
based on the state cannot
abroad
nationality of assert
the victim jurisdiction
Universal
Offenders
Jurisdiction
may escape
Enables : Any state
justice if no
prosecutio may
state asserts
n of prosecute
jurisdiction
universal crimes like
over crimes
crimes genocide,
of global
piracy, or
concern
war crimes
