What are the elements and requisites of crime or criminal act?
Even though a statute declares an act unlawful, the act does not constitute a crime if no penalty is prescribed. To constitute a crime there must be a specified punishment for the act upon conviction. Accordingly, the failure or refusal to perform a contractual obligation constitutes the mere neglect of a legal duty and is not a crime. Likewise, an immoral or reprehensible act will not warrant conviction as a crime unless made so by a statute, ordinance, or regulation.
