Provisional Dismissal

Category: Criminal Procedure

Provisional  Dismissal

Sec.  8.  Provisional  dismissal.  –  A  case  shall  not  be  provisionally dismissed except with the express consent of the accused and with notice to the offended party.
 
    The     provisional dismissal of offenses punishable  imprisonment not exceeding six (6) years or a fine of any amount, or both, shall become permanent one (1) year after issuance of the order  without  the  case  having  been  revived.  With  respect  to offenses  punishable  by  imprisonment  of  more  than  six  (6)  years, their  provisional  dismissal  shall  become  permanent  two  (2)  years after issuance of the order without the case having been revived.
 

WHAT  IS  THE  TIME-BAR  RULE?    WHEN  DOES  A  PROVISIONAL DISMISSAL BECOME FINAL?

>     The provisional dismissal of offenses punishable by imprisonment exceeding  6  years  or  a  fine  of  any  amount  shall  become permanent after one year without the case having been revived
>     For  offenses  punishable  by  imprisonment  of  more  than  6  years, the  provisional  dismissal  shall  become  permanent  after  2  years without the case having been revived.
>     After the provisional dismissal becomes final, the accused cannot be prosecuted anymore
 

WHEN CAN A CASE BE PROVISIONALLY DISMISSED?

>     A case can only be dismissed provisionally if the accused expressly consents, such consent given in writing or viva voce.
>     It  must  be  positive,  direct,  unequivocal  consent  requiring  no inference or implication to supply its meaning
>     The  mere  inaction  or  silence  of  the  accused  to  a  provisional dismissal  of  the  case  or  his  failure  to  object  to  a  provisional dismissal doesn’t amount to express consent.
 

WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS FOR SECTION 8 OF THE RULES OF COURT TO APPLY?

WHAT ARE THE REQUISITES LAID DOWN BY PEOPLE V. LACSON?

1.    The  prosecution,  with  the  express  conformity  of  the  accused  or the latter’s counsel moves for a provisional dismissal of the case; or  both  the  prosecution  or  accused  move  for  a  provisional dismissal of the case
2.    The  offended  party  is  notified  of  the  motion  for  a  provisional dismissal of the case
3.    The court issues an order granting the motion and dismissing the case provisionally
4.    The  public  prosecutor  is  served  with  a  copy  of  the  order  of provisional dismissal of the case
 

WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN THE TIME BAR RULE WILL NOT APPLY?

>     Provisional  dismissal  will  not  become  permanent,  even  after  one year or two years depending on the offense’s nature
 

HOW CAN A CASE BE REVIVED?

1.    Re-filing  the  information  or  filing  of  a  new  information  for  the same offense necessarily included therein without need of  a new preliminary  investigation  unless  the  original  witnesses  of  the
prosecution or some of them may have recanted their testimonies or  may  no  longer  be  available  and  new  witnesses  for  the  State have emerged
2.    A new preliminary investigation is also required if aside from the original accused, other persons are charged under a new criminal complaint for the same offense or necessarily included therein
3.    Under  a  new  criminal  complaint,  the  criminal  liability  of  the accused  is  upgraded  from  that  of  an  accessory  to  that  of  a principal
4.    Under a new criminal complaint, the charge has been upgraded