Corporation's criminal liability

A corporation cannot be said to have committed a crime because a crime is an external act. A corporation, being a person only in contemplation of law or legal fiction, cannot do acts by itself. Moreover, in crimes, intent or negligence is an essential element and corporations can neither have intent nor negligence. As a result, any criminal action in relation to corporate acts shall be limited to corporate agents guilty of engaging in acts or omissions amounting to an offense or a felony; it cannot be directed against the corporation itself, at least according to present laws.