A critical analysis of Senate Bill No. 1603: Its implications to Republic Act No. 9344, as amended by Republic Act No. 10630

Abstract

This study analysed Senate Bill No. 1603 otherwise known as “AN ACT LOWERING THE AGE OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9344, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “JUVENILE JUSTICE AND WELFARE ACT OF 2006”, AS AMENDED” and determined its implications to Republic Act No. 9344 and Republic Act No. 10630. The minimum age of criminal responsibility is the minimum age wherein liability attaches to a person who commits a crime or offense either with intent or negligence, that person being unable to exempt himself/herself from criminal liability either through a justifying or an exempting circumstance provided for by law. In the Philippines, crimes and offenses committed by minors whose ages are under the minimum age of criminal responsibility became rampant. Resultantly, more and more people are pushing for lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility. As an answer to the cry of the people to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility, the Senate of the Philippines drafted Senate Bill No. 1603. Thus, with the drafting of Senate Bill No. 1603, this study was contemplated to analyse the contents of said bill, to assess its vague and ambiguous provision, advantages, and disadvantages, and to determine its implications to Republic Act No. 9344 as amended by Republic Act No. 10630. In this study, Qualitative Research Method was used. Salient provisions of the law were identified as indicators of the study. Copies of Senate Bill No. 1603, Republic Act No. 9344 and Republic Act no. 10630 were used as the primary data for the study. Secondary data were gathered through consulting related reports, internet materials, publications and other alternative sources that were available.