(RED) Self Defence Flashcards

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1
Q

Where does self defence come from?

A

Common law, now partly codified in Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008.

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2
Q

What counts as self defence?

A

-Defending oneself
-Defending another person
-Defending property

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3
Q

Which crimes can use self defence?

A

It is a general and complete defence, so all crimes, even murder.

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4
Q

What are the 2 main parts to self defence?

A

-Was it necessary for D to use force?
-Was the force used proportionate to the perceived threat?

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5
Q

What does it mean for if it was necessary for D to use force?

A

It is a subjective test, so it considers if D honestly believed it was necessary to use force.

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6
Q

What factors can be considered to decide if D thought it was necessary to use force?

A

-D must think the threat is imminent
-Whether D made an honest mistake
-If D had the opportunity to retreat

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7
Q

What does it mean that D thinks the threat is imminent?

A

Beckford- D doesn’t have to wait for force to be used against him, he can use a preemptive strike.

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8
Q

What happens if D makes an honest mistake?

A

Gladstone Williams- this doesn’t matter. As long as the mistake is genuine and honest, the jury can find that the force was necessary.

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9
Q

What if D had the opportunity to retreat?

A

s76(6A) Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 and R v Bird- D doesn’t have a duty to retreat but if D has the opportunity to retreat but fails to do so, the jury are more likely to decide the force used was not necessary.

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10
Q

What happens if D makes an intoxicated mistake about whether force was necessary?

A

s76(5) of Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 and O’Grady- intoxicated mistakes about self defence are not allowed and D will not be able to use the defence.

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11
Q

How do you determine if the force used is proportionate to the perceived threat?

A

s76(3) of Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008- for a jury to decide if the force used by D was proportionate, it must look at the circumstances as D believed them to be.

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12
Q

What is D not expected to do when determining proportionate force?

A

s76(7)(a) of Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008- D is not expected to weigh to a nicety the exact measure of any necessary action. This means D may not be able to measure exactly how much force he needs to use in the heat of the moment and D is given the benefit of the doubt.

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13
Q

What is strong evidence D only took reasonable action?

A

s76(7)(b) of Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008- if D has only done what he honestly and instinctively thought was necessary.

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14
Q

What is the limit on self defence?

A

Hussain- using force in revenge/ retaliation is not allowed and using excessive force is not allowed.

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