Criminal Law

Mindmap of main points for a2 law on ocr board :) bit hectic but yer!

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  • Criminal Law
    • Actus Reus
      • Ommissions
        • General rule: an omission cannot make a person guilty of an offence
          • Stephen J in 19th Century case: "A sees B drowning and is able to save him by holding out his hand.  A abstains from doing so in order that B may be drowned.  A has committed no offence
          • There are 6 exceptions to this general rule where the defendant has a duty of care.
            • Voluntary
              • Stone v Dobbinson (1977)
            • Statutory
              • E.g. failing to report a road traffic accident
            • Contractual
              • Pitwood (1902)
            • Relationship
              • Gibbins and Proctor (1918)
            • Duty through an official position
              • Dytham (1979)
            • Duty arising through a chain of events
              • Miller (1983)
              • Santana - Burmudes (2003)
        • There are 6 exceptions to this general rule where the defendant has a duty of care.
          • Voluntary
            • Stone v Dobbinson (1977)
          • Statutory
            • E.g. failing to report a road traffic accident
          • Contractual
            • Pitwood (1902)
          • Relationship
            • Gibbins and Proctor (1918)
          • Duty through an official position
            • Dytham (1979)
          • Duty arising through a chain of events
            • Miller (1983)
            • Santana - Burmudes (2003)
        • The Duty of Doctors - the decision to stop treating a patient is not a criminal ommission if it is in the patients best interets
          • Airedale NHS Trust v Bland (1993)
      • Causation
        • Intervening acts
          • An act of a third party
          • Victims own Act
            • Must be sufficiently serious and independant of D's conduct
          • A natural but unpradictable event
        • Legal Cause
          • De Minimus Rule
            • Kimsey (1996)
            • "More than a slight or trifling link."
          • Thin Skull Rule
            • Blaue (1975)
        • Medical Treatment
          • General Rule - Medical treatment won't break the chain of causation
          • Smith (1959)
            • Poor treatment affecting recovery up to 75% but original attacker was still convicted...
              • "substancial and operative cause"
            • Cheshire (1991)
              • D convicted after tracheotomy goes wrong.
                • Despite wounds being "virtually healed". Treatment must be "totally independant" of D's actions.
              • Jordan (1956)
                • Defendant was aquitted - very unusual and critisised decision
                  • Gave antibiotics which v was alergic to - described as "palpably wrong"
        • Factual Cause
          • But For test
            • Paget (1983)
      • The physical element of a crime
        • An act, Failure to act or state of affairs.
          • State of affairs are rare cases in which the defendant is guilty even though they have not commited the actus reus voluntarily
            • Larsonneur (1933)
            • Winzar v Cheif Constable of Kent (1983)
          • Act or ommision must be voluntary
            • Mitchell (1983)
            • Hill v Baxter (1958)
    • Mens Rea
      • Intention
        • Direct
          • Intending a specific consequence to occur.
        • Oblique
          • D's actions bringing about a consequence they didn't intend.
            • Shankland (1986)
        • AKA Specific intention
        • Defined in Mohan (1975): "D has to have aimed to bring about the prohibited consequence.  Motive is not relevant as to whether the defendant has intention.
      • Recklessness
        • We now only have subjective recklessness.
          • Caldwell(2003)
        • AKA Basic Intention
      • Transferred Malice
        • Latimer (1886)
        • Pembliton
      • The mental element or state of mind that D must possess at the time of committing the conduct stated in the Actus Reus.
      • Knowledge
        • Sweet v Parsley
      • Coincidence of AR and MR
        • Thabo Meli v R (1954)
        • Church (1965)
    • Strict Liability
      • Crimes that do not require mens rea
        • Pharmaceutical society of GB c Storkwain LTD. (1986)
      • Absolute Liability
        • Larsonneur (1933)
        • Winzar v Cheif Constable of Kent (1983)
      • Part SL crimes
        • Prince (1875)
        • Hibbert (1869)
      • No Fault/Due dilligence usually unavailable
        • Harrow LBC v Shah and Shah (1999)
        • Gammon Tests
          • Gammon (Hong Kong) LTD. v Att. Gen. of Hong Kong (1984)
          • 1) presumtion can only be set aside if words of act make it clear the crime is one of SL.
            • 2) presumption is particularly strong for truly criminal crimes
              • 3) Presumption can only be displaced if the law is concerned with public safety.
                • 4) should only apply where it increases vigilence
      • No defence of mistake
        • Cundy v Le Cocq (1884)
        • Sherraz v De Rutzen (1895)
      • Not many common law SL offences
        • Lemon and Whitehouse v Gay news (1979)
      • Courts presume mens rea is needed
        • Sweet v Parsley
      • For: public protection, social unity, encourage higher standards, easier to enforce, save time, save money, mostly small fines, blameworthiness can be taken into account when sentencing.
        • Against: imposes liability on the blameless, those unaware of risk may be liable, no evidence it improves standards, contrary to h/r, social stigma
    • Theft
      • s1 = definition of theft
        • "dishonestly appropriating property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it."
      • S2 doesnt define honesty but give occasions when a persons actions might be considered honest.
        • 2(1)(a) - if you believe you have a legal right to the goods
          • Robbinson (1977)
        • 2(1)(b) - if you believe you would have had consent.
          • Holden (1991)
        • 2(1)(c) - if the owner cannot reasonably be found
          • Small (1988)
      • The main test for dishonesty is set down in Ghosh (1982)
        • 1) dishonest by the standards of reasonable person? 2) did D realise their actions were dishonest by this standard?
      • Dishonesty is a matter for the jury
        • Feely
        • Inportance of considering your own reasonable standards of honesty.
          • Boggeln v Williams
          • Gilks
          • Landy
      • S3 = appropriation
        • "Any assumption of the rights of the owner"
          • Anderton v Burnside
          • Morris (1983)
          • Pitham v Hehl (1977)
          • Lawrence (1971)
          • Gomez (1993)
          • Hinks (2000) LEADING CASE
          • Atakpu and Abrahams (1994)
          • R v Hopkins (1997)
          • Dip Kaur v Chief Constable for Hampshire (1981)
      • S4 = Property
        • "money and all other property real or personal including...tangible property
          • Personal property
            • Includes body parts - Kelly and Lindsay (1998)
            • Is disgarded matter property? Yes - R v Marshall
            • Illegal drugs can be property - R v Smith (2011)
          • Intangible property
            • Information not intangible property - Oxford v Moss (1979)
            • Electricity not property - Lowe v Blease (1970)
            • Preddy (1996) - figures on a screen not property
              • Sorted in Theft Amendment act.
          • 4 (3) - wild plants not property unless picked for material gain.
            • 4(4) - wild animals are not property.
              • 4(2) - doesn't usually include things that are part of the land.
          • Passage of ownership
            • R v McHugh (1976)
            • Corcoran v Wheat (1977
          • S5 - belonging to another
            • "property shall be regarded as belonging to any person having posession or control of it, having any propriety rights or interests."
            • Davidge v Bunnet (1984)
              • Att Gen Ref 1 of (1983)
                • R v Marshall
                  • R v Turner (1971)
                    • R v Rostrain (2003)
                      • Boggeln v Williams
                        • Landy and Gilks
                          • Greestain (1975)
                            • Woodman (1974)
                              • Collingson (2000)
                                • Webstar (2006)
      • S 6 - Intention to permanently deprive
        • Borrowing may amount to perminant deprevision
          • DPP v Lavender (1994)
          • R V Vellumyl (1989)
          • R v Lloyd (1985)
          • R v Beachham (1857)
        • Any effect on the quality, quantity, appearance or value may make borrowing permanent deprevision
    • Burglary
      • S9 of the TA (1968)
        • 9(1)(a)
          • Enters a building or part of a building with intent to steal, inflict GBH or do unlawful damage
        • 9(1)(b)
          • Having entered a building or part of a building as a trespasser D steals or attempts to steal or inflicts or attempts to inflict GBH.
        • Entry
          • "Effective and substancial"
            • Collins (1972)
              • effective entry
                • Brown (1985)
                  • Doesn't need to be either
                    • Ryan (1996)
        • Building or part of a building
          • Includes inhabbited places
            • B and S v Leathley (1979)
            • Norfolk Constabulary v Seekings and Gould (1986)
          • Part of a building
            • Walkington (1979)
              • Untitled
  • An act, Failure to act or state of affairs.
    • State of affairs are rare cases in which the defendant is guilty even though they have not commited the actus reus voluntarily
      • Larsonneur (1933)
      • Winzar v Cheif Constable of Kent (1983)
    • Act or ommision must be voluntary
      • Mitchell (1983)
      • Hill v Baxter (1958)
  • Foresight of consequences is not the same as intention, only evidence for the jury to infer it.
  • R v Scalley (1995)
    • Judge misdirection- jury not told that they could convict but did not have to.
    • R v Woollin
      • After misdirectrion - HOL used Nedrick without 2 questions and swopping infer for find.
      • R v Matthews and Alleyne (2003)
        • Jury not given the 'may find' step but conviction was upheld because it was "impossible" to see how the jury would not have found intention.

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