GOOD questions Flashcards
- What is the penalty for attempted murder?
Every one who attempts to commit murder is liable for a term of imprisonment not exceeding 14 years
- Define R v Tarei
Withdrawal of any form of life support system is not “treatment” under s166 Crimes Act 1961. To withdraw life support does not cause death but removes the possibility of extending the person’s life through artificial means.
- Outline section 181 of the Crimes Act 1961 (Concealing a dead body of a child)
Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years who disposes of the dead body of any child in any manner with intent to conceal the fact of its birth, whether the child died before, or during, or after birth
- In which Court does a youth facing a charge of murder or manslaughter appear?
Young persons over 14 years of age are usually dealt with under the youth justice provisions of the CYPF Act although charges of murder and manslaughter will be heard in the High Court following the committal process in the Youth Court.
- A Question of Law relating to whether the condition is a disease of the mind is answered by whom?
The Judge
- What the accused’s state of mind was at the time of the offence is a question decided by whom?
The Jury
- What was held in R v Kamipeli?
It does not have to be shown that the defendant was incapable of forming the mens rea, merely that, because of their drunken state, they did not have the proper state of mind to be guilty
- What is the burden of proof for insanity?
The accused is not required to prove the defence of insanity beyond reasonable doubt, but to the satisfaction of the jury on the balance of probabilities.
- Section 153 of the Crimes Act 1961, what is the relevant age of the person who is employed?
Under the age of 16 years
- Where a charge of infanticide is laid, who decides on the Mothers state of mind?
The Jury
- Pursuant to section 22(3)(a) of the Criminal Disclosure Act 2008, the notice under subsection (1) must include:
(3) Without limiting subsection (1),—
(a) the notice under subsection (1) must include the name and address of the witness or, if the name and address is not known to the defendant when the notice is given, any matter known by the defendant that might be of material assistance in finding that witness;
- Before a conviction can be obtained for manslaughter, where one of the sections referred to is section 150A (1) of the Crimes Act 1961, what must the prosecution prove?
A very high degree of negligence or gross negligence
- Proximity is a question of law decided by whom?
The Judge
- Written notice of an alibi is to be given by the defendant:
Within 10 working days after the defendant is given notice under section 20 of the Criminal Disclosure Act 2008.
- Define R v Cox
Consent must be full, voluntary, free and informed, freely and voluntarily given by a person in a position to form a rational judgement.
- As a general guideline, most offences within the Crimes Act 1961, will require an intent (Mens rea) of some kind. Outline a defence that would therefore be generally available:
The defence of intoxication will be available to the defence to establish that the defendant did not have the required intent to carry out the offence
- Provide an overview of the culpability of persons involved in suicide pacts
Any survivor of a suicide pact is guilty of being a party to a death (if death of another person within the pact ensues)
- Outline section 25 of the Crimes Act 1961, ignorance of the law:
The fact that an offender is ignorant of the law is not an excuse for any offence committed by him.
- Outline “M’Naghten’s rules”
The M’Naghten’s rules (or test) is frequently used to establish whether or not a defendant is insane. It is based on the person’s ability to think rationally, so that if a person is insane they were acting under such a defect of reason from a disease of the mind that they did not know:
• The nature and quality of their actions, or
• That what they were doing was wrong.
- List four statutory legal duties in respect of the Crimes Act 1961
- Provide the necessaries and protect from injury (s151)
- Provide necessaries and protect from injury to your charges when you are a parent or guardian (s152)
- Provide necessaries as an employer (s153)
- Use reasonable knowledge and skill when performing dangerous acts, such as surgery (s155)
- Take precautions when in charge of dangerous things, such as machinery (s156)
- Avoid omissions that will endanger life (s157).
- List the difference between counselling or attempting to procure murder (s174) and conspiracy to Murder (s175)
Counselling or attempting to procure murder requires that the offence is to be committed in New Zealand, whereas with conspiracy to murder, the murder can take place in New Zealand or elsewhere.
Counselling or attempting to procure murder only applies if the murder is not in fact committed, whereas conspiracy to murder applies regardless of whether murder is committed or not.
- Section 159(1) & (2) of the Crimes Act 1961 defines when a child becomes a human being and is therefore able to be murdered under section 158. Detail the provisions of section 159(1) & (2).
159(1) A child becomes a human being within the meaning of this Act when it has completely proceeded in a living state from the body of its mother, whether it has breathed or not, whether it has an independent circulation or not, and whether the navel string is severed or not.
159(2) the killing of such child is homicide if it dies in consequence of injuries received before, during, or after birth.
- Define Homicide, Section 158 of the Crimes Act 1961
Homicide is the killing of a human being by another, directly or indirectly, by any means whatsoever.
- What was held in R v Mane?
For a person to be an accessory the offence must be complete at the time of the criminal involvement. One cannot be convicted of being an accessory after the fact of murder when the actus reus of the alleged criminal conduct was wholly completed before the offence of homicide was completed.
- State the ingredients of infanticide (s178 of the Crimes Act 1961).
Where a woman causes the death of any child of hers under the age of 10 years in a manner that amounts to culpable homicide, and where at the time of the offence the balance of her mind was disturbed, by reason of her not having fully recovered from the effect of giving birth to that or any other child, or by reason of the effect of lactation, or by reason of any disorder consequent upon childbirth or lactation, to such an extent that she should not be held fully responsible, she is guilty of infanticide, and not of murder or manslaughter, and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years.
- What does R v Myatt state about an unlawful act in respect of section 160(2)(a) of the Crimes Act 1961?
Before a breach of any Act, regulation or bylaw would be an unlawful act under s 160 for the purposes of culpable homicide it must be an act likely to do harm to the deceased or to some class of persons of whom he was one
- What was held in R v Tomars
Formulates the issues in the following way:
- Was the deceased threatened by, in fear of or deceived by the accused?
- If they were, did such threats, fear or deception cause the deceased to do the act that caused their death?
- Was the act a natural consequence of the actions of the accused, in the sense that reasonable and responsible people in the accused’s position at the time could reasonably have foreseen the consequences?
- Did these foreseeable actions of the victim contribute in a [significant] way to his death?
- In general, no one is criminally responsible for the killing of another by any influence of the mind. What are the exceptions to this rule?
- Wilfully frightening a child under 16 years of age
* Wilfully frightening a sick person (Mentally or physically)
- What is meant by the term “justified?” Provide two examples:
Note that some acts are “justified” even when they result in death. Section 2 provides that when an act is justified the perpetrator is exempt from both criminal and civil liability.
Examples of such acts include:
• Homicide committed in self-defence (s48)
• Homicide committed to prevent suicide or commission of an offence which would be likely to cause immediate and serious injury to the person or property of any one (s41).
- Why is attempted murder one of the most difficult offences in the Crimes Act 1961 to prove beyond reasonable doubt?
R v Murphy
When proving an attempt to commit an offence it must be shown that the accused’s intention was to commit the substantive offence. For example, in a case of attempted murder it is necessary for the Crown to establish an actual intent to kill:
- What are the ingredients to accessory after the fact to murder?
Knowing any person to have been party to murder, receives, comforts, assists that person or tampers with or actively suppresses evidence against that person in order to enable him to escape after arrest or to avoid conviction.