Homicide Flashcards
What does homicide cover?
Offences of murder, manslaughter and other occasions where a person causes, or is involved in, the death of another.
What is the offence of murder?
Common-Law
Committed when a person unlawfully kills another human being under the Queen’s Peace, with MALICE aforethought.
Penalty:
- Over 18 = Life Imprisonment
- 18-21 = Custody for Life
- Under 18 = Detention at Her Majesty’s Pleasure
If someone intended to kill or cause injury to a pregnant mother, can that intention support a charge of murder in respect of the baby if it goes on to die after being born alive?
No- but it may support a charge of manslaughter.
Murder is committed when a person unlawfully kills another human being under the Queen’s Peace, with malice aforethought.
What is excluded concerning “Under the Queen’s Peace”?
Deaths caused during the legitimate prosecution of warfare (War Crimes Act 1991).
If a British citizen commits a murder anywhere in the world, can they still be tried in England or Wales?
Yes
What is the mens rea for murder as an intention?
To kill, or
To cause grievous bodily harm.
In which situations is consent required before proceedings can be instituted for a ‘fatal offence’?
s2 Law Reform Act 1996
(a) The injury alleged to have caused the death was sustained more than 3 years before death occurred, or
(b) The person has previously been convicted of an offence committed in circumstances alleged to be connected to the death.
What is the offence of involuntary manslaughter?
Common Law
Unlawful killing of another human being.
Occurs where the defendant causes the death of another but is not shown to have had the required mens rea for murder (intention to kill or GBH) nor involve the special defences as per voluntary manslaughter.
Divided into:
- Kill another by an unlawful act which was likely to cause bodily harm, or
- Kills another by gross negligence.
Penalty:
- Indictment – Life imprisonment
Involuntary manslaughter
What is gross negligence?
Gross negligence is a matter of fact for the jury and means the “lack of slight diligence or care” or “a conscious, voluntary act or omission in reckless disregard of a legal duty and of the consequences to another party.
Civil liability is not enough (being responsible for actions and practices that could damage others, but which aren’t criminal).
For example, a duty of care in a care home.
Involuntary manslaughter
What three elements to the offence of manslaughter by an unlawful act must you prove?
- An unlawful act (constitutes a criminal offence in its own right, e.g arson)
- That the unlawful act is likely to cause bodily harm (emotional/ psychological not enough).
- The defendant had the mens rea for the unlawful act which led to the death (cannot rely on voluntary intoxication, e.g drug-induced hallucination).
Causing or Allowing a Child or Vulnerable Adult to Die or Suffer Serious Harm
s5 Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004
(1) A person (“D”) is guilty of an offence if—
(a) a child (under 16) or vulnerable adult (“V”) dies or suffers serious physical harm as a result of the unlawful act of a person who—
(i) was a member of the same household as V, and
(ii) had frequent contact with him,
(b) D was such a person at the time of that act,
(c) at that time there was a significant risk of serious physical harm being caused to V by the unlawful act of such a person, and
(d) either D was the person whose act caused the death or serious physical harm or—
(i) D was, or ought to have been, aware of the risk mentioned in paragraph (c),
(ii) D failed to take such steps as he could reasonably have been expected to take to protect V from the risk, and
(iii) the act occurred in circumstances of the kind that D foresaw or ought to have foreseen.
Penalty:
Indictment –
- Where the child/ vulnerable adult dies = 14 years imprisonment and/ or a fine.
- Where the child/ vulnerable adult suffers serious physical harm = 10 years imprisonment and/ or a fine.
Murder
What is ‘unlawful killing’?
Can be an act or omission to act.
Excludes killing where there may be justifiable reasons e.g self-defence.
Soldiers and Police may be excluded.
Murder
What is ‘another human being’?
Decided cases tell us that a person ceases to be a human being when their brain stem ceases to be active, regardless of being artificially kept alive.
‘Another human being’ includes a baby born alive with an existence independent of the mother (when fully expelled from the womb, and the umbilical cord does not need to be cut).
Murder
What is ‘malice afterthought’?
Specific intent offence to kill or cause GBH.
Needn’t be any premeditation on planning necessarily.
Murder
What is required before proceeding for a ‘fatal offence’?
Attorney General consent.
IF injury sustained thought to have caused it, is more than 3 years before death occurs OR the person has been convicted of, for example, a GBH for the same injury.