Mens Rea Flashcards
What are the 3 levels of mens rea
High level- Intension
Mid level- Recklessness
Low level- Negligence
What is the case supporting the beginning of specific intention
Mohan 1975
What did the judge say in Mohan 1975
Intention is a decision to bring about a consequence no matter whether the accused desired the consequence or not
What is Direct intention
Where the consequence is desired
What is Oblique intention
Where another consequence is considered but that person still does it
What test is oblique intent
Subjective
What must the court be satisfied by to improve oblique intent
1) Subjectively by defendant
2) Foresaw consequence
3) The risk was VERTUAL certainty
Then the jury may be entitled to find intention
List the cases in the timeline for intension
CJA (1967) Hyam Moloney 1985 Handcock and Shankland Nedrick Scalley Woolin RE A Mathews and alleyene
What does the criminal justice act state for oblique intention?
The jury should INFER whether the defendant had foreseen the consiquence through the subjective test
Describe the facts of Moloney 1985
D shot his father in a race to load and shoot a gun, he didn’t point it but the bullet hit.
What did the HOL state in the case of Moloney 1985
foresight of consequences is only evidence of intention. Lord bridge stated jurors should consider two questions: was it of NATURAL CONSEQUENCE
FORESIGHT IS ONLY INTENSION
Describe the facts and decision in Handcock and Shankland
D pushed a concrete bolder from a bridge onto the road to stop a taxi. The block killed the driver.
The judge followed the guidelines of monoley and Lord scarman stated that the guidelines were unsafe and misleading and require a reference to probability.
THE GREATER PROBABILITY OF CONSIQUENCE, THE MORE LIKELY THE CONSIQUENCE WAS FORESEEN’
USES WORD FORESEEN A02
Describe the facts and decision in Nedrick
D had poured parafin through the letter box of a house and set it alight to harm a woman and the child died.
What was the consiquence in Nedrick
To make it easier for jurors to understand they had to suffice two questions:
DID D SEE AS VERTUAL CERTAINITY
THE JURY CAN SAY HE MUST HAVE INDIRECTLY INTENDED DEATH
The jury can not infer unless it is a virtual certainty
Describe the facts of woolin
D threw a 3 month old baby towards its pram and the baby hit the wall and died.
Describe Recklessness
A lower level of mens rea “where the defendant knows the risk of the consequence but does it anyway”
List the names of the 4 cases for Recklessness
Cunningham
Caldwell
Elliot v C
R v R and G
Describe the facts in Cunningham
D ripped a gas meter off the wall to steal the money. The gas leaked to the woman next door and killed her.