Criminal Liability Flashcards
What two elements must be proved by prosecution to show that D is guilty?
Actually Reid and Mens Rea
What is the crime equation?
Actus Reus + Mens Rea + No Defence = A Crime
What is mens rea?
The mental element of a crime
What is actus reus?
The physical element of a crime
What must D’s act or omission usually be?
Voluntary
What is the Chain of Causation?
Factual Cause + Legal Cause + No Intervening Act
When will D be the factual cause?
If the consequence would not have happened ‘but for’ D’s conduct
What is the case example of the factual cause?
Pagett
What happened in Pagett?
D used his pregnant girlfriend as a shield whilst in a shoot out with the police. She would not have died ‘but for’ him using her as a shield
When will D be the legal cause?
If D’s conduct was more than a minimal cause of the consequence
What is the case example of a legal cause?
Benge
What happened in Benge?
D was charged with manslaughter as he hadn’t relaid the tracks in time so a train crashed. His conduct was more than a minimal cause
What are the three types of interesting acts?
- where D’s conduct causes a reasonably foreseeable action by a third party
- medical negligence
- V’s Ken conduct
What is the case example of when D’s conduct caused a reasonably foreseeable action by a third party?
Pagett
When will medical negligence break the chain of causation?
When it is so independent of D’s act and in itself so potent in causing death that D’s acts are insignificant
What are the case examples for when medical negligence didn’t break the chain of causation?
- Smith
* Cheshire
What happened in Cheshire?
D shot V who died in hospital after his windpipe became obstructed in surgery and doctors failed to spot the complications. The complications were a direct consequence of the shooting and D’s act was still a significant cause of V’s death
What happened in Smith?
V was a soldier and was stabbed and taken to the medics but he was dropped twice on route. Medics failed to diagnose that his lung had been punctured and he died. The original wound was still a substantial cause
What medical negligence case breaks the chain of causation?
Jordan
What happened in Jordan?
V was stabbed and taken to hospital. He was given antibiotics and had an allergic reaction to them, he was given excessive amounts of intravenous therapy and died of pneumonia. The medical treatment was palpably wrong and broke the chain of causation
When will V’s own conduct break the chain of causation?
When it is so daft that a reasonable person would not have foreseen V reacting in that way
What case example of V’s own actions didn’t break the chain of causation?
Roberts
What happened in Roberts?
V jumped out of a car to escape sexual advancements. D was held liable for her injuries as her reaction was reasonably foreseeable
What is the thin skull rule?
When D must take V as he finds him
What is the case example for the thin skull rule?
Blaue
What happened in Blaue?
D stabbed a Jehovah’s Witness and she refused a blood transfusion even though it would’ve saved her life but D had to take V as he found them