Chapter 4 - Criminal Law Flashcards
Define Criminal Law
Committed against society as a whole
Define Civil Law
Offences against individuals
What is jurisdiction?
- law making authority
* Constitution Act 1867 gave Criminal law jurisdiction to parliament
What is the Criminal Code?
The main source of our criminal law
What does the type of offence determine?
- Power of arrest for a citizen or police
- Rights of the accused
- How trial will proceed
- What penalty will be given
What are Summary Conviction Offences?
Minor offences. Accused is arrested or summoned to court without delay
Max penalty $2000 and/or 6 months imprisonment (ex. Nutidy)
What are Indictable Offences?
Serious crimes. More severe penalties
Max penalty up to life imprisonment and penalty is imposed by trial judge (Ex. Murder)
What are Hybrid/Procedure Offences?
Crown can choose whether to proceed summarily or by indictment (ex. Credit card theft, forgery)
Ex.1 A kid steals their parents’ credit card for the first time and shows remorse would proceed by summary process
Ex.2 A career criminal with 100 stolen credit cards would proceed by indictment
For a true crime to exist, what elements MUST both exist at the same time of the crime?
- Actus reus (“guilty act or deed”)
- Mens rea (“guilty mind”)
- Criminal offence(?)
Define Onus
Responsibility of the crown to prove Actus Reus and Mens Rea
What is Recklessness?
The taking of a risk where the result of the action - committing a crime - is foreseeable
Ex. using illegal substances in a public area, carrying concealed weapons without a permit
What is Wilful Blindness?
When a person seeks to avoid liability for a wrongful act by pretending to not know certain facts that would make him/her liable
Ex. Sansregret case
What is Aiding?
To help the principal offender in the act of the crime
Ex. Holding down the victim, while the accused beats them to death with a baseball bat
What is Abetting?
To encourage offender to do something
Ex. “Kill him, get him, hit him”
What two things must be proven to be convicted of aiding and abetting?
- Accused knew that the other intended to commit an offence
- Accused aided or abetted the other
P.S. mere presence at the scene is NOT conclusive evidence
What is “Accessory after the fact”?
Someone who helps a person who has committed a crime to escape detention or capture as outlined in the Criminal Code
Ex. Providing food, clothing, and shelter to the offender
More points:
• even if the principal offender has not been found guilty, the accessory can still be convicted
Ex. The charge of 1st degree against Jack is dropped, but his friend (who helped Jack) serves time in prison
What are violent crimes?
Offences that violate the human body in some way
What is a homicide?
Killing of a human being, directly or indirectly