Criminal Law Revision Notes

8/18/2019 Criminal Law Revision Notes

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Criminal Law Revision NotesElements of Criminal Law

Reading J. Herring Criminal Law (Palgrave 8th edition) pp. 1-23.

A. Ashworth, “s the !ri"inal #aw a #ost !a$se%& (2''') 11 LQR 22

*opi+s

• *he st$d o the +ri"inal law is the st$d o liailit.

• t is not ao$t whether a person +an e +harged with a +ri"e, or

what senten+e he "a a+e i +onvi+ted, $t rather it deals withwhether a person is inno+ent or g$ilt o an o/en+e (i.e. whether

or not he +an e +onvi+ted).

• *hin0 ao$t the +ri"inal law in ter"s o what has to e proved in

order to +onvi+t a person o a +ri"e, not ao$t how it +an e

proved.

• o$r depth o $nderstanding o the +ri"inal law will also e

enhan+ed i o$ are ale to identi how the law is reor"ed, Parlia"ent, the +o$rts, and as a res$lt o an $ropean in$en+e.

Introduction to Criminal Law

Purpose of Criminal Law –

• Prote+t individ$als and propert ro" 4har"5

• Preserve order in so+iet

• P$nish those who deserve p$nish"ent ( deterren+e 6 7$sties

senten+ing whi+h are harsher that wo$ld e deserved si"pl on

the gravit o the o/en+e in order to prote+t so+iet and red$+e

+ri"e deterring other ro" engaging in the sa"e a+tivities.)

( n+apa+itation 6 to re"ove people ro" so+iet where the pose

a ris0 o re o/ending or danger) (Rehailitation to ret$rn people

a+0 to so+iet in a reor"ed state o "ind 6 "odern da

repla+ed with prison ed$+ation and training s+he"es and


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treat"ent progra""es) ( Retri$tion 6 gravit o the +ri"e is

proportional to the har" +a$sed)

Moral values?

!an e arg$ed that is it not or +ri"inal to interere in the private lives

o +iti9ens $nless it is ne+essar to tr to i"pose +ertain standards o

ehavio$r. *he :olenden +o""ittee (1;


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*his denition +overs all +ri"es in the CD. *he #aw in the CD however

is li0el to +hange where there is a +hange when there is a +hange in

val$es o the gov and so+iet. .g. -

- *he +ri"inal law a"end"ent A+t 1;8 +ri"inalised +onsens$alho"ose>$al a+ts etween ad$lts in private.

- *he se>$al o/en+es A+t 1;< de+ri"inalised s$+h ehavio$r

etween those aged 21 and over

- *he +ri"inal 7$sti+e and p$li+ order a+t 1;;E de+ri"inalised

s$+h ehavio$r or those aged 18 and over.

-n 2''' gov $sed parlia"ent a+ts to red$+e the age o +onsent to1 or ho"ose>$al.

Judicial Law main!

Fo"e +ond$+t is +ri"inalised not the state $t 7$dges e.g Fhaw v

?PP 1;2 6 where an o/en+e o +onspira+ to +orr$pt p$li+ "orals

was +reated. *he +reation o the o/en+e was +onr"ed in Dn$ller

(P$lishing, Printing and Pro"otions) #td v ?PP 1;a"ple

is the o/en+e o o$traging p$li+ inde+en+ Gison 1;;1. Also "aritalrape in R v R 1;;1

Classication of o"ences

!lassi+ation where a +ase will e tried-

- ndi+tale onl o/en+es, whi+h "$st e tried on indi+t"ent at the

+rown +o$rt(I$rder, rape Iansla$ghter)

- *riale either wa o/en+es whi+h +an e tried either on

indi+t"ent at the !rown +o$rt or at "agistrates +o$rt ( *het,

$rglar assa$lt o++asioning a+t$al odil har")

- F$""ar o/en+es whi+h +an onl e tried at the "agistrates

+o$rt e.eg assa$lting a poli+e o=+er in the e>e+$tion o his d$t

Cate!ories for police detention


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Poli+e powers are +odied the Poli+e and !ri"inal eviden+e A+t

1;8E. Poli+e powers to detain a s$spe+t who had een arrested

depends on +ategor o o/en+es-

-F$""ar o/en+es - Poli+e +an onl detain an arrested person or"a>. 2Ehrs

- ndi+tale o/en+es 6 *he s$spe+t +an onl e detain or 2E ho$rs,

$t this +an e e>tended to 3hrs an s$perintendent o=+er or

aove. @$t poli+e +an appl to "agistrates to detain the s$spe+t

or "a>. ; ho$rs i needed.

- *erroris" o/en+es 6 *he s$spe+t +an e detained or E8 hrs and

this +an e e>tended to "a> 1E das i an appli+ation is "ade tothe 7$dge.

Classif#in! law $# its source

#aw +o"es ro" vario$s so$r+es. *hese so$r+es are-

- !o""on #aw (J$dge-"ade)

- Ftat$tor (dened an a+t o parlia"ent)

- Reg$lator (Fet o$t in delegated legislation)

%#pe of &arm caused $# t&e crime

*here are vario$s +ategories as to the har" that is +a$sed when an

o/en+e is +o""itted. *he "ain +ategories are-

- K/en+es against a person

- K/en+es against propert

- K/en+es against p$li+ order

Elements of a crime

Lor all +ri"es, e>+ept +ri"es o stri+t liailit, there are two ele"ents that"$st e proved the prose+$tion.


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*hese are

- A+t$s Re$s- Iens Rea

*hese ter"s +o"e ro" a #atin "a>i" a+t$s non a+it re$" nisi "ens sit

rea whi+h "eans the a+t itsel does not +onstit$te g$ilt $nless done with a

g$ilt "ind.

A+t$s re$s has a wider "eaning than an a+t as it +an +over o"issions or a

state o a/airs. *he ter" a+t$s re$s has een +riti+ised as "isleading.

#ord ?iplo+0 in Iiller (1;83) preerred the ter" 4prohiited +ond$+t5. *he

#aw !o""ission in the ?rat !ri"inal !ode (1;8;) $sed the ter" 4e>ternal

ele"ent5

Iens rea translates as 4g$ilt "ind5 $t this is also "isleading. *he levels

o 4g$ilt "ind5 var. *he #aw !o""ission in the ?rat !ri"inal !ode(1;8;) $sed the ter" 4a$lt ele"ent5.

*he a+t$s re$s and "ens rea will e di/erent or di/erent +ri"es.

*he a+t$s re$s and the "ens rea "$st e present together, $t i there is

an ongoing a+t, then the e>isten+e o the ne+essar "ens rea at an point

d$ring that a+t is s$=+ient ( Lagan v Ietropolitan Poli+e !o""issioner

(1;;) ). *his also applies where there is a seB$en+e o events or a+ts

(*hao Ieli (1;E) , #e @r$n (1;;1)).

ven where the a+t$s re$s and "ens rea are present, the deendant "a

e not g$ilt i he has a deen+e.

'urden of Proof

*he $rden is on the prose+$tion to prove the +ase. *his "eans that the

"$st prove oth the reB$ired a+t$s re$s and the reB$ired "ens rea

(:ool"ington v ?PP (1;3)). An a++$sed person is pres$"ed inno+ent

$ntil proven g$ilt.

*he standard o proo is 4eond reasonale do$t5. the deendant raises a deen+e then it is or the prose+$tion to negate

that deen+e. n :ool"ington the deendant stated that the g$n had gone

o/ a++identall, th$s raising the deen+e o a++ident. *he prose+$tion

were oliged to disprove this i the deendant was to e o$nd g$ilt.

Lor +ertain deen+es the $rden o proo is on the deendant. Lor e>a"ple,

or the deen+e o insanit the deendant has to prove he was insane at

the ti"e o the o/en+e. Pla+ing the $rden o proo on the deen+e "a

rea+h Art (2) o the $ropean !onvention on H$"an Rights


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Criminal law and &uman ri!&ts

*he H$"an Rights A+t 1;;8 in+orporated the $ropean !onvention on

H$"an Rights into o$r law. All Arti+les have to e +onsidered in nglish

law.

n +ri"inal law the "ost relevant rights $nder the +onvention are

- *he right to a air trial (Art (1))- *he pres$"ption o inno+en+e (Art (2))- Mo p$nish"ent witho$t law (Art


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2. the o/en+e is one whi+h +onor"s to the $nda"ental o7e+tives o the

!onvention, then it will not e in rea+h o this Arti+le !R v CD (1;;) where the

+onvi+tion o a h$sand or the rape o his wie was approved the $ropean

!o$rt o H$"an Rights.

3. n other +ases there have een +hallenges $nder Art < on the asis that the

o/en+e is too $n+ertain or la+0s +larit, e.g gross negligen+e "ansla$ghter (R v

Iisra R v Frivastava (2''E)) (see ;.E.2) and p$li+ n$isan+e (Goldstein (2'')).

*o date no +hallenge on the asis o la+0 o +larit has een s$++ess$l.

1..E Kther h$"an rights

1. *here have een +hallenges to the +ri"inal law on the asis o other rights in

the !onvention.

2. n Altha" (2'') the deendant +lai"ed that the re$sal to allow hi" the

deen+e o ne+essit in respe+t o his $se o +annais or e>tre"e phsi+al pain

was a rea+h o Art 3 whi+h provides that no one shall e s$7e+ted to 4inh$"an

or degrading treat"ent5. *his +hallenge ailed.

3. Fi"ilarl, in N$ale (2'') the deendant arg$ed that the re$sal to allow hi"

the deen+e o ne+essit in respe+t o his $se o +annais or e>tre"e phsi+al

pain was a rea+h o Art 8. *his Arti+le gives a right to respe+t or a person5s

private lie. *his +hallenge also ailed.

E. n G (2''8) a "inorit o the #aw #ords held that prose+$ting ?, aged 1,

$nder s o the Fe>$al K/en+es A+t 2''3 (rape o a +hild) was disproportionate

and a rea+h o Art 8 when the se>$al inter+o$rse was +onsens$al and ? +o$ld

have een +harged $nder s13 o the A+t.

. n ?ehal (2'') it was held that ?5s right to reedo" o e>pression (Art 1')

had een inringed when he was prose+$ted $nder sE o the P$li+ Krder A+t

1;8 or pla+ing a noti+e in a te"ple stating that the prea+her was a hpo+rite.

A+t$s Re$s

J. Herring Criminal Law (Palgrave 2'13) pp. 3;-8E.

R v Woollin O1;;; A! 82 3 :#R 382 O1;;8 E All R 1'3 H#

R v G (and Another) O2''; 1 A! ;2 O2''8 !ri" #R 818 O2''8 CDH# 3<

A. Ashworth “*he F+ope o !ri"inal #iailit or K"issions& (1;8;) 1'

#NR E2E

J. Herring Criminal Law !e"t# Cases and $aterials (K>ord, 2'1E) pp. ;-

1E, 12-1;.


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Criminal Law Revision Notes

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