Criminal Law Flashcards
What is the criminal liability formula?
Actus Reus + Mens Rea = Guilty of Offence
What is ‘Strict Liability’?
No Mens Rea is required, the crime is bad enough itself
What is an ‘Omission’?
A failure to do something
What is ‘Actus Reus’?
The guilty act of the crime (physical part). Needed with Mens Rea to be guilty of most crimes
What is ‘Mens Rea’?
The guilty mind of the crime (mental part). Needed with Mens Rea to be guilty of most crimes
Within ‘Mens Rea’, what does ‘Specific Intention’ mean?
Hope, wish, want, desire to cause the result
Within ‘Mens Rea’, what does ‘Forsight of Consequences’ mean? (Virtual Certainty)
Result was not what the defendant intended, but was forseeable
Within ‘Mens Rea’, what does ‘Reckless’ mean?
Taking risks, when you know you should not. For example, jay-walking or speeding
What is the ‘Chain of Causation’?
After everything which has happened in the case, is the defendants original actions still connected to the result of the victim?
What is the definition of Murder?
“Where a person of sound mind unlawfully kills any reasonable creature in being under the Queens peace with malice aforethought, either expressed or implied”
What is the Actus Reus of Murder?
- Killing must be unlawful
- Causation must be established
- Victim must die
- Victim must be a human
- Under the Queens peace
What is the Mens Rea of Murder?
> Expressed Malice - intention to kill
Implied Malice - intention to cause GBH
(Forsight of consequences is often considered for a number of murder cases)
What is ‘Transferred Malice’?
Mens Rea passed on to another person
What is ‘Involuntary Manslaughter’?
An unlawful killing where the accused did not have the specific intention for murder
- UNLAWFUL DANGEROUS ACT MANSLAUGHTER
- GROSS NEGLIGENCE MANSLAUGHTER
What is the ‘Objective Test’?
Sober and Reasonable person would realise that the unlawful act would put someone in risk of harm
What is the Mens Rea of Involuntary Manslaughter?
Must be proved that the D has the mens rea for the unlawful act, but it is not necessary for the D to recognise this
What is meant by ‘Gross Negligence Manslaughter’?
Where a person owes a duty of care, but performs that duty of care negligently which causes death
What is ‘Duty of Care’?
For example a mother and her baby
What law does the murder defence Diminished Responsibility come from?
Coroners and Justice Act 2009
How do we prove Diminished Responsibility?
Abnormality of mental functioning which:
(a)arose from a recognised mental condition
(b)substantially impairs D’s ability to:
>understand the nature of his conduct
>form a rational judgement
>exercise self control
(c)provides an explanation for D’s acts or omissions
How do we prove Loss of Control?
- D must exercise self control
- Qualifying Trigger (things said or done)
- A person of the same sex and age would of reacted in the same way as D did in the circumstances
What are the problems with the law on murder?
Can be guilty or murder if intended to cause GBH
The mandatory life sentence
-Should have different levels of murder
What are the problems with the law on manslaughter?
- Covers a wide range of conduct
- Death may be a very unexpected result
- D may not of realised the danger of their act
What law does Assault come from?
S.34 Criminal Justice Act 1988
What is an Assault?
Intentionally or recklessly causes another to fear immediate or unlawful violence. No need for contact, any way of threatening is enough
What is the Mens Rea for Assault?
Intention or being reckless to put someone in fear of violence