What is a prejudicial question?

Suspension By Reason Of Prejudicial Question

Sec.  6.  Suspension  by  reason  of  prejudicial  question.  –  A  petition for suspension of the criminal action based upon the pendency of a prejudicial question in a civil action may be filed in the office of the prosecutor  or  the  court  conducting  the  preliminary  investigation. When  the  criminal  action  has  been  filed  in  court  for  trial,  the petition to suspend shall be filed in the same criminal action at any time before the prosecution rests.

MAY  THE  COURT  MOTU  PROPIO  ORDER  THE  DISMISSAL  OF  A CRIMINAL ACTION WHERE THERE IS A PREJUDICIAL QUESTION TO BE RESOLVED?

> No, the court can only suspend the criminal action upon a petition but it has no authority to order its dismissal

WHAT IS A PREJUDICIAL QUESTION?

> A prejudicial question is one based on a fact separate and distinct from the crime but is so intimately related to it that it determines the guilt or innocence of the accused

WHAT IS THE RULE REGARDING PREJUDICIAL QUESTIONS?

> In case the civil action was instituted ahead of the criminal action, the same  shall be suspended in whatever stage it may be found and  before  judgment  is  the  merits  upon  commencement  of  the
criminal action

WHAT  IS  THE  RATIONALE  BEHIND  THE  PREJUDICIAL  QUESTION RULE?

> To avoid two conflicting decisions
 
Sec.  7.  Elements  of  prejudicial  question.  –  The  elements  of  a prejudicial  questions  are:  (a)  the  previously  instituted  civil  action involves an issue similar or intimately related to the issue raised in
the subsequent criminal action, and (b) the resolution of such issue determines whether or not the criminal action may proceed.

WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS OF A PREJUDICIAL QUESTION?

1.    The previously filed civil action involves an issue which is  similar or  is  intimately  related  with  an  issue  raised  in  the  subsequent criminal action
2.    The  resolution  of  the  issue  will  determine  whether  or  not  the criminal action may proceed

WHEN IS AN ACTION FOR ANNULMENT OF MARRIAGE PREJUDICIAL TO A BIGAMY CASE?

> An  action  for  annulment  of  marriage  is  prejudicial  to  a  bigamy case  only  if  the  accused  in  the  bigamy  charge  is  also  the  one asking for annulment of the second (bigamous marriage based on
vitiation of consent) 
> This  is  because  in  such  a  case,  if  the  court  declares  that  the party’s consent is indeed vitiated and annuls the marriage, then it would  mean  that  the  party  didn’t  willingly  commit  the  crime  of bigamy
> It would thus be determinative of the guilt and innocence  of the accused

IS AN ACTION FOR   NULLITY BECAUSE  OF ARTICLE 36 A PRELIMINARY QUESTION OF ADULTERY?  

> No, what is important is the fact that the marriage still subsisted during the commission of the crime of adultery

IS AN ACTION FOR LEGAL SEPARATION A PRELIMINARY QUESTION ON CONCUBINAGE?

> No,  in  legal  separation,  the  marriage  bond  is  not  severed  and thus, it doesn't matter if the legal separation was granted or not