Description
Criminal Law is a branch of public substantive law which defines what a crime is and imposes a penalty. Being a substantive law, it creates a right, the right of the state to impose a penalty. If there is a right violated, there is a crime.
It is a public law because it is related to the relationship of the state and the individual. If there is a crime committed, it is actually the state which is the offended party and not the private offended party. It is the reason why once the information is filed in court, it is filed in the name of the People of the Philippines as the complainant.
