Unjust Vexation in the Philippines
LawComments
This touches on the 'void for vagueness' doctrine in constitutional law. If a statute doesn't give a person of ordinary intelligence a reasonable opportunity to know what is prohibited, it can be struck down.
It might not be entirely up to the judge. Usually, the Supreme Court provides guidelines in these cases to keep things fair for everyone involved.
I wonder if those guidelines are public... does the court look at the intent of the person or just the reaction of the victim?
What is the conviction rate for these cases? It is hard to judge the impact without knowing how often a judge actually finds someone guilty.
I remember a similar discussion about 'disturbing the peace' laws. The upside is that it gives the state a tool to stop escalating conflicts before they turn into actual violence.
This isn't just a weird relic. In an era of digital harassment, a law this broad is basically a cheat code for whoever has the better lawyer.
it is less of a cheat code and more of a deterrent for low level harassment that doesn't meet felony thresholds.
These kinds of laws are a nightmare for local peace officers. They end up spending more time mediating petty neighbor disputes than actually enforcing the criminal code.