Practice question
Prison officials argue that degrading psychological treatment and subhuman detention facilities cannot raise constitutional concerns because the prisoner’s sentence was lawfully imposed. What is correct?
- A lawful sentence removes all constitutional protections
- Only the length of the prison term can ever matter
- Article III section 19 also addresses degrading treatment and specified inhuman detention conditions; lawful conviction is not blanket authorization for them
- Prison officials may amend the Constitution by internal memorandum
- Only persons awaiting trial retain protection
Legal references
- https://lawphil.net/consti/cons1987.html — Constitution, Article III section 19: excessive fines, cruel/degrading/inhuman punishment and detention safeguards.
- https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2006/ra_9346_2006.html — RA 9346 sections1–2: current prohibition on imposing death and substitute penalties by statutory nomenclature.
- https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri2020/jan2020/gr_208162_2020.html — Fuertes v. Senate, G.R. 208162, January 7, 2020, main decision: punishment character, proportionality and the constitutional standard; historical discussion does not override RA 9346.
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