how laws are applied due to circumstances

Question 1

how can moral panic impact how the law is applied?

Answer 1

can lead to harsher sentences to teach other individuals a lesson and deter others

Question 2

what typification’s can affect arrests and sentences?

Answer 2

• social class
• age
• ethnicity
• attitudes towards officers

Question 3

what is the age of criminal responsibility?

Answer 3

aged 10 in England

youth courts hear cases involving individuals aged 10-17 years

Question 4

what are the 3 defences contained in the 1957 homicide act?

Answer 4

. diminished responsibility
. loss of control
. automatism

Question 5

what is diminished responsibility?
-3 defences

Answer 5

mental health reducing (reduced) rational judgement

Question 6

what is loss of control?
-3 defences

Answer 6

partial defence that may reduce the offence to manslaughter.

eg. defendant was provoked to act

Question 7

what is automatism?
- 3 defences

Answer 7

defendant must have consciously chose to commit the crime

if they show it was involuntary they can plead the defence of automatism

Question 8

example of when an individual could plead automatism?

Answer 8

. head injury
. PTSD
. sleep walking