HRS §702-203
When failing to act can lead to criminal charges
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗This section says a person cannot be punished for failing to do something unless the law specifically says that failure is a crime, or another law requires the person to do that act. It only covers situations where no action was taken.
everyone
The statute, as written — Penal liability based on an omission
A copy, taken August 20, 2026. The version published by the Legislature is the one that governs, and it may have changed since. Check it before relying on anything here.
Penal liability may not be based on an omission unaccompanied by action unless: (1) The omission is expressly made a sufficient basis for penal liability by the law defining the offense; or (2) A duty to perform the omitted act is otherwise imposed by law.
LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.