Fatal offences Flashcards
Who defined murder?
Lord Coke
What is the definition of murder?
The unlawful killing of any human being under the King’s peace in any country of the realm with malice aforethought
What are the 2 times murder will be considered lawful?
Necessity
Self-defence
What is the case for self-defence?
Martin
Can an unlawful killing be committed by omission?
Yes
What is the case for an unlawful killing to be committed by omission?
Gibbins and Proctor- neglected their child who therefore died
What is an human being?
Living independently outside of the womb
What is the case for the definition of human being?
AG Ref No.3 1994
What did the case of Malcherek and Steel say?
A person on life support is not considered a human being
What does it mean if a killing is ‘under the King’s peace’?
The killing is lawful if it is in a time of war if you are killing an enemy
What does ‘any country of the realm mean’?
That a British citizen can be tried for murder even if committed in another country
What is the test for causation in fact?
The ‘but for’ test
What is the case for causation in fact?
White
What 3 things are needed for legal causation?
Morally responsible
More than minimal cause
Accelerated the death
What is the case for legal causation?
Pagett- Human shield
What are novus actus interveniens?
Things that break the chain of causation
What are the 3 types of NAI?
Act of victim (Longbottom)
Act of third party (Jordan)
Unpredictable event
Do eggshell conditions break the chain?
Never break the chain of causation
What did the case of Blaue say about eggshell conditions?
D must take the V as he finds them
What are the 2 types of mens rea for murder?
Direct intent
Oblique intent
What is direct intent and the case?
Has the aim and desire for the result (Mohan)
What is oblique intent and the case?
The result was virtually certain (Woolin)
What is unlawful act manslaughter?
D committed an unlawful act that lead to D’s death but the MR for murder is not present
What is the 2 part test for unlawful act manslaughter?
The act must be a crime
Cannot be committed through omission (Lowe)
What is a dangerous unlawful act?
Sober and reasonable man would regard it as dangerous and some risk of harm occurring
What is the case for dangerous unlawful act?
Church
What can a dangerous and unlawful act not be?
Doesn’t have to be aimed at V but may be aimed at a person or property
What are the cases for UA person and property?
Person- Larkin
Property- Goodfellow
The unlawful act must cause…
Death
Do normal causation rules apply for dangerous unlawful act and what are they?
Yes
Fact
Legal
NAI
What are the rules on causation and drugs?
If D supplies and does inject he is liable, if D supplies and the V self injects he is not liable unless he supplied it to someone young and misinformed
what is the case for causation and drugs?
Kennedy
What is the MR for unlawful act manslaughter?
they don’t need to realise that it was dangerous as long as they intended the act