Necessity Defences Flashcards
What type of defence is self defence?
Complete defence
What is the right of private defence?
The right to use force in defence of oneself, in defence of property or in defence of another
What section of which act does self defence come under?
S.3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967
What is the right of public defence?
The right to use force in the public interest to either prevent crime or lawfully arrest someone
What are the two main points to be decided for self defence?
- was the use of force necessary
* was the amount of force used reasonable in the circumstances
What must D honestly believe when using self defence?
That the circumstances are such that the use of force is necessary
What is merely a relevant factor to determine whether D’s use of force was necessary?
Possibility of retreat
Which section mentions possibility of retreat?
S.76(6A) of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008
What is the case example for when possibility of retreat is merely a relevant factor to determine whether D’s use of force was necessary?
Hussain and Another
What happened in Hussain and Another?
D injured a burglar as he was escaping down the street
What does the Attorney-General’s Reference case say about self defence?
D does not have to wait to be attacked before he can use force to defend himself. D may make a pre-emptive strike or make preparations to defend himself if he apprehended an attack
What happened in Attorney-General’s Reference?
D prepared petrol bombs in fear of an attack on his shop
What does the case Williams(Gladstone) say about self defence?
If D genuinely made a mistake about being threatened or needing to act to prevent crime, he is to be judged on the facts as he believed them to be. This is so even if the mistake was unreasonable
Which section says about D making a mistake when it comes to self defence?
S.76(3) CIJA 2008
What happened in Williams(Gladstone)?
D punched a police officer who he thought was attacking someone
What does the case O’Grady say about self defence?
A mistaken belief caused by D’s voluntary intoxication is not sufficient for the defence
Which section talks about a drunken mistaken belief in self defence?
S.76(5) CIJA 2008
What happened in O’Grady?
D was drunk and hit his friend who he believed was trying to kill him
What is the second point to consider for self defence?
It must be that a reasonable person would have used that amount of force in the circumstances as D believed them to be
When will the degree of force used not be reasonable?
If it was disproportionate in the circumstance: S.76(6) CIJA 2008
When will the degree of force used not be reasonable in householder cases?
If it was grossly disproportionate in the circumstances: S.76(5A) CIJA 2008
What might D not be able to do at the time of using self defence?
Weigh to a nicety the exact measure of necessary action: S.76(7)(b) CIJA 2008