Association Offences Flashcards
Conspiracy
Act and Section
Section 310, Crimes Act 1961
Conspiracy
Elements
- everyone who
- conspires
- with any person
- to commit any offence or
- to do or omit, in any part of the world
- anything of which the doing or omission in New Zealand would be an offence
Conspiracy begins
Case law
Mulchay v R
Mulchay v R held
A conspiracy consists not merely in the intention of two or more, but in the agreement of two or more to do an unlawful act, or to do a lawful act by unlawful means. So long as such a design rests in intention only it is not indictable. When two agree to carry it (the intended offence) into effect, the very plot is an act in itself…
Essence of a conspiracy in ‘Grenfield’
The essence of a conspiracy is an agreement to pursue a course of conduct which, if carried out, would amount to the commission of an offence or involve the commission of an offence by one or more parties to the agreement
Withdrawing from the agreement (conspiracy)
A person withdrawing from the agreement is still guilty of conspiracy as are those people who become party to the agreement after it has been made.
However a person can effectively withdraw before the actual agreement is made.
Completion of conspiracy
The offence is complete on the agreement being made with the required intent. No further progression towards the completion of the offence nor further involvement by the parties is required.
When a conspiracy ends
(case law)
R v Sanders
R v Sanders held
A conspiracy does not end with the making of the agreement. The conspiratorial agreement continues in operation and therefore in existence until it is ended by completion of its performance or abandonment or in any other manner by which agreements are discharged.
Mens Rea for conspiracy
- an intention of those involved to agree
- an intention that the relevant course of conduct should be pursued by those party to the agreement
Actus reus for conspiracy
The agreement between two or more people to put their common design into effect. The agreement must be made before the commission of the acts which will make up the full offence and the object of the conspiracy.
Actus reus examples for conspiracy
Physical acts, words, or gestures used by the conspirators in making their agreement (whether express or implied)
Intent (define)
- A Deliberate Act
- Intent to Produce a Specific Result
Deliberate Act (Intent means)
Intent means that act or omission must be done deliberately. The act or omission must be more than involuntary or accidental.
Intent to produce a result:
The second type of intent is an intent to produce a specific result. Specific result “means aim, object, purpose”
Intent note:-
(Conspiracy)
Do not confuse this requirement to have a firm intent or purpose with what can be a very fleeting agreement between parties involved in that agreement.
Intent case law
R v Collister
R v Collister held
Circumstantial evidence from which an offender’s intent may be inferred can include:
- the offender’s actions and words before, during and after the event
- the surrounding circumstamces
- the nature of the act itself
Conspiracy, 2 or more
(case law)
R v White
R v White held
Where you can prove that a suspect conspired with other parties (one or more people) whose identies are unknown, that suspect can still be convicted even if the identity of the other parties is never established and remains unknown
Conspiring with a spouse or partner
Section 67, Crimes Act 1961
A person is capable of conspiring with his or her spouse or civil union partner, or with them and any other person.
Offence (define)
Offence = crime
An act or omission that is punishable on conviction under any enactment
Act (define)
To take action or do something, to bring about a particular result
Omission (define)
The action of excluding or leaving out someone or something, a failure to fulfill a moral or legal obligation
Conspiracy jurisdiction
Section 7, Crimes Act 1961 & R v Sanders
It was deemed sufficient if one act or omission forming part of the offence or “any event necessary to the completion of any offence” occurs in New Zealand
Conspiracy jurisdiction limits
Poynter v Commerce Commission
New Zealand courts have no jurisdiction over a conspirator who enters into a conspiracy abroad and who never comes to New Zealand
Conspiracy overseas defense
If they are able to prove that the act is not an offence under the law of the place where it was to be committed
Conspiracy between parties in NZ and overseas
R v Darwish
… the conspiracy was formed in both countries simultaneously, and given NZ is one of those countries in which the conspiracy falls, it would lie within the jurisdiction of the New Zealand courts.
Admissiblity of evidence (conspiracy)
Anything a conspirator or party to a joint charge says or does to further the common purpose is admissible against the others involved, this being an exception to the hearsay rule, and as such conspirators should be jointly charged.
(This doesn’t apply to explanations made after a common purpose is carried out, that applies to that offence only)
Specific conspiracy offences
Treason, piracy, making false accusations, defeating justice, murder, conspiracy to deal with controlled drugs, all have their own charge so use that.
Everything else use s310.
Investigative procedures
witnesses (conspiracy)
Interview and obtain statements from witnesses covering
- identity of people present at time
- with whom agreement made
- what offence was planned
- any acts carried out to further the common purpose
Investigative procedures
Suspects (conspiracy)
statements to establish
- existence of agreement to commit offence
- existence of agreement to omit to do sth that would be an offence
- the intent of those involved
- the identity of those involved where possible
- if anything was written, said or done to further the common purpose
Problems with charging both offence and conspiracy
- evidence admissible only for conspiracy may have a prejudicial effect on other charges
- the judge may disallow the evidence as it will be too prejudicial for a jury
- the conspiracy charge may unnecessarily complicate and prolong the trial
- if not founded on evidence or is abuse of process it may be quashed
- severence may be ordered, meaning separate trials for each
Attempts
Act and section.
Section 72, Crimes Act 1961
Attempts
definition (1)
(Elements)
- Everyone who,
- Having an intent to commit an offence,
- does or omits an act for the purpose of accomplishing his object
- is guilty of an attempt to commit the offence
- whether in the circumstances it was possible to commit the offence or not
Attempts
definition (2)
The question whether an act done or omitted with intent to commit an offence is or is not only preparation for the commission of that offence, and too remote to constitute an attempt to commit it, is a question of law
Attempts
Definition (3)
An act done or omitted with intent to commit an offence may constitute an attempt if it is done immediately or proximately connected with the intended offence, whether or not there was any act unequivocally showing the intent to commit that offence.
Three elements of an attempt offence
- Intent (mens rea) - to commit an offence
- act (actus reus) - that they did or omitted to do something to achieve that end
- proximity - that their act or omission was sufficiently close
Attempts Intent case law
R v Ring
R v Ring held
In this case, the offender’s intent was to steal property by putting his hand into the pocket of the victim. Unbeknown to the offender the pocket was empty. Despite this he was able to be convicted of attempted theft, because the intent was to steal whatever property might have been discovered inside the pocket was present in his mind and demonstrated by his actions. The remaining elements were also satisfied.
Attempts
A question of fact
Whether that intent exists or not is a question of fact; a question that the jury decides.
The “all but” rule
Act(s) must be sufficiently proximate to the full offence.
Examples of act that may constitute an attempt.
American Model Penal Code
- lying in wait, searching for or following the contemplated victim.
- enticing the victim to go to the scene of the contemplated crime.
- reconnoitring the scene of the contemplated crime.
- unlawfully entering a structure, vehicle, or enclosure in which it is contemplated that the crime will be committed.
- possessing, collecting, or fabricating materials to be employed in the commission of the crime.
- soliciting an innocent agent to engage in conduct constituting an element of the crime.
Several acts together may constitute an attempt (case law)
R v Harpur
R v Harpur held
[The Court may] have regard to the conduct viewed cumulatively up to the point when the conduct in question stops… the defendant’s conduct [may] be considered in its entirety. Considering how much remains to be done… is always relevant, though not determinative.
Proximity
Ask yourself…
Ask yourself: Do the facts show mere preparation, or are the defendant’s acts or omissions immediately or sufficiently proximate to the intended offence?
Test for proximity
- Has the offender done anything more than getting himself into a position from which he could embark on an actual attempt?
or - Has the offender actually commenced execution; that is to say, has he taken a step in the actual crime itself?
Proximity is a question of _____?
Law, it is a question that is decided by the judge based on the assumption that the facts of the case are proved.
Elements that help determine proximity.
- fact
- degree
- common sense
- seriousness of the offence
Impossibility
Physically/factually impossible = guilty
Legally impossible = not guilty
Physically impossible
(3 case laws)
- R v Ring
- Higgins v Police
- Police v Jay
Higgins v Police held
Where plants being cultivated as cannabis are not in fact cannabis it is physically, not legally, impossible to cultivate such prohibited plants. Accordingly, it is possible to commit the offence of attempting to cultivate cannabis.
Conspiracy (penalties)
For 7+ year offences = 7 years
For <7 year offences = same as offence.
Police v Jay
A man bought hedge clippings believing they were cannabis
Legally impossible (case law)
R v Donnelly
R v Donnelly held
Where stolen property has been returned to the owner or legal title to any such property has been acquired by any person, it is not an offence to subsequently receive it, even though the receiver may know that the property had previously been stolen or dishonestly obtained
Once sufficiently proximate, no defence that they:
- were prevented by some outside agent from doing something that was necessary to complete the offence
- failed to complete the full offence due to ineptitude, inefficiency, or insufficient means.
- were prevented from committing the offence because an intervening event made it physically impossible.
Function of Judge and Jury in attempt cases
Judge:- Decides if the defendant has left the preparation stage and is already trying to effect completion of the full offence.
Jury:- Decides if fact have been proven, if acts are close enough to full offence, and if mens rea is proven.
When can you not charge with (attempts) offence?
- The criminality depends on recklessness or negligence (eg manslaughter)
- An attempt is included in the definition of that offence (eg assault)
- The act has to be completed for the offence to exist at all. (eg demanding with menaces. Demand accompanied by menaces, you either do or do not, there is no try)
Filing of charges (attempts) conviction outcomes
- If charged with full offence but found guilty of attempt. Convicted of attempt.
- If charged with attempt but full offence proved. Only convicted of attempt.
Charge wording for attempts
Add “attempted to” before main charge wording.
Add s72 Crimes Act 1961 after main charge section.
Attempts penalties
s311, Crimes Act 1961
If specific attempt offence = that.
Life imprisonable = 10 years
All other = 1/2 of full offence
Parties
(Act & Section)
Section 66, Crimes Act 1961
Section 66(1), Crimes Act 1961
(1) Everyone is a party to and guilty of an offence who
(a) Actually commits the offence,
(b) Does or omits an act for the purpose of aiding any person to commit the offence
(c) Abets any person in the commission of the offence
(d) Incites, counsels, or procures any person to commit the offence
Section 66(2)
Where 2 or more persons form a common intention to prosecute any unlawful purpose, and to assist each other therein, each of them is a party to every offence committed by any one if them in the prosecution of the common purpose if the commission of that offence was known to be a probable consequence of the prosecution of the common purpose
Offence committed other than the intended offence
(Act & Section)
Section 70, Crimes Act 1961
Section 70(1), Crimes Act 1961
Every one who incites, counsels, or procures another to be a party to an offence of which that other is afterwards guilty is a party to that offence, although it may be committed in a way different from that which was incited, counseled, or suggested.
Section 70(2), Crimes Act 1961
Everyone who incites, counsels, or procures another to be a party to an offence is a party to every offence which that other person commits in consequence of such inciting, counselling, or procuring, and which the first-mentioned person knew to be likely to be committed in consequence thereof
parties
(what needs to be proved)
- The identity of the defendant, and
- an offence has been successfully committed, and
- the elements of s66(1) have been satisfied
Where there is more than 1 offence, must prove for each offence.
When participation must have occurred. (parties)
Participation muct have occurred before or during (contemporaneous with) the commission of the offence, and before completion.
Otherwise accessory after the fact
Intention to help or encourage (parties)
Case law
R v Pene
R v Pene held
A party must intentionally help or encourage - it is insufficient of they were reckless as to whether the principal was assisted or encouraged.
Principal party
Under s66(1)(a) where they personally satisfy the mens rea and actus reas of the offence.
can be more than one principal offender
Secondary party
(define)
Under s66(1)(b),(c),or (d), their assistance, abetment, incitement, counselling, or procurement is sufficient to make them liable.
Multiple offenders: Method 1
Each offender satisfies the elements of the offence committed.
(if so, no need to refer to s66 even though s66(1) applies)
Multiple Offenders: Method 2
Each offender separately satisfies part of the actus reus.
(pieces of the actus reus puzzle but all must have the mens rea)
True joint principals under s66(1)(a)