Criminal law. William Wilson PDF

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Criminal law

William Wilson

This subject guide was prepared for the University of London International Programmes by: u

William Wilson, Professor of Criminal Law, Queen Mary, University of London.

This is one of a series of subject guides published by the University. We regret that owing to pressure of work the author is unable to enter into any correspondence relating to, or arising from, the guide. If you have any comments on this subject guide, favourable or unfavourable, please use the form at the back of this guide.

University of London International Programmes Publications Office Stewart House 32 Russell Square London WC1B 5DN United Kingdom www.londoninternational.ac.uk Published by: University of London © University of London 2015 The University of London asserts copyright over all material in this subject guide except where otherwise indicated. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher. We make every effort to respect copyright. If you think we have inadvertently used your copyright material, please let us know.

Criminal law

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Contents Module overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1.1

The lawyer’s method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

1.2

What does criminal law comprise? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

1.3

Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

1.4

The sources of criminal law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

1.5

Study materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

1.6

Online resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

1.7

Preparing for the examination. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

1.8

Getting started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

2 The building blocks of criminal liability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 2.1

General principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

2.2

The three basic elements in crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

2.3

Proving the elements of the offence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Am I ready to move on? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

3 Actus reus: conduct and circumstances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 3.1

What does the actus reus consist of? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

3.2

Circumstances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Am I ready to move on? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

4 Actus reus: consequences and their causes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 4.1

Result crimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

4.2

Accountability: basic guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

4.3

Principles governing causation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

4.4

Breaking the chain of causation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Am I ready to move on? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

5 Mens rea: criminal fault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 5.1

Objective fault. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

5.2

Subjective fault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

5.3

Intention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

5.4

Recklessness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

5.5

Negligence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Am I ready to move on? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

6 Coincidence of actus reus and mens rea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 6.1

Temporal coincidence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

6.2

Correspondence principle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

6.3

Transferred malice: a qualification to the correspondence principle . . . . . .56 Am I ready to move on? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

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University of London International Programmes

7 Criminal homicide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 7.1

Common elements in criminal homicide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

7.2

Murder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

7.3

Voluntary manslaughter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Am I ready to move on? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

7.4

Involuntary manslaughter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Am I ready to move on? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

8 Rape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 8.1

Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 1 – rape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

8.2

Conduct elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

8.3

Absence of consent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

8.4

The presumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

8.5

Procedure: relationship between section 1, section 75 and section 74. . . . .85

8.6

Mens rea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 Am I ready to move on? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

9 Non-fatal offences against the person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 9.1

Crimes of violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91

9.2

Crimes against autonomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Am I ready to move on? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

10 Defences 1: failure of proof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 10.1 The two types of defences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 10.2 Involuntary conduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 10.3 Insanity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 10.4 Intoxication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 10.5 Crimes of basic intent and specific intent contrasted . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Am I ready to move on? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

11 Defences 2: affirmative defences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 11.1 Relationship between the defences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 11.2 Public and private defence including self-defence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 11.3 Meaning of ‘reasonable force’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 11.4 Scope of private defence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 11.5 Duress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 11.6 Duress of circumstances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 11.7 Necessity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Am I ready to move on? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

12 Property offences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 12.1 Theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Am I ready to move on? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 12.2 Burglary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Am I ready to move on? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 12.3 Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Am I ready to move on? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

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13 Criminal damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 13.1 Simple criminal damage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 13.2 Aggravated criminal damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Am I ready to move on? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

14 Criminal attempts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 14.1 Retribution or prevention? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 14.2 Actus reus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 14.3 Mens rea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 14.4 Impossible attempts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Am I ready to move on? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182

15 Participation in crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 15.1 Complicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 15.2 Elements of accessoryship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 15.3 Joint enterprise liability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 15.4 Difference in offence or liability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 15.5 Withdrawal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 15.6 Relationship between accessorial liability and incohate liability

. . . . . . 203

Am I ready to move on? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Feedback to activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Chapter 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 Chapter 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 Chapter 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Chapter 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Chapter 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 Chapter 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Chapter 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 Chapter 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 Chapter 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 Chapter 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 Chapter 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Chapter 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 Chapter 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 Chapter 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222

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Notes

University of London International Programmes

Criminal law Module overview

Module overview This module examines general principles of criminal liability, a range of fatal and nonfatal offences against the person and selected offences against property. Attempts to commit offences, secondary liability and defences also form part of the curriculum.

Module aim This module introduces students to the aims and principles of criminal law. The module aims to provide the ability to explain and evaluate several offences and defences as well as the general principles governing liability, including the act and fault requirement.

Learning outcomes: knowledge Students completing this module at a threshold level are expected to have knowledge and understanding of the main concepts and principles of criminal law. In particular they should be able to: 1.1 Demonstrate a critical awareness of the relationship between morality, policy and principle in common law and legislative provisions in criminal law; 1.2 Demonstrate a critical awareness of the how questions of morality, policy and principle influence reform and proposals for reform in the criminal law; 1.3 Analyse the legal principles governing liability for non fatal offences; 1.4 Analyse the legal principles governing liability for criminal homicide; 1.5 Analyse the legal principles governing liability for property crimes; 1.6 Analyse the legal principles governing liability for inchoate offences; 1.7 Analyse the legal principles governing liability as an accomplice; 1.8 Analyse the legal principles governing criminal defences; 1.9 Demonstrate a critical awareness of the points of comparison and distinction between different offences within the same family, and different criminal defences.

Learning outcomes: skills Students completing this module at a threshold level should be able to construct and present a legal argument explaining different concepts and arguments, demonstrating in particular the ability to: 2.1 analyse a set of facts, providing reasoned arguments and conclusions as to the criminal offences which may have been committed and defences which may be available; 2.2 Analyse an area of law with a view to showing understanding of its strengths and weaknesses in terns of underlying considerations of morality, principle and policy; 2.3 demonstrate understanding of the hierarchy of courts and the appeal process in criminal cases; 2.4 communicate effectively, orally and in writing, in a clear and concise manner, using accurate legal terminology and referring to primary and secondary sources of law, and giving practical examples; 2.5 with guidance, use legal databases and the internet to locate primary and secondary sources relevant to criminal law.

Assessment Formative Assessment is conducted through tasks in the Subject Guide which include self-assessment activities with feedback. There are additional online activities in the form of multiple choice questions. The Formative Assessment will prepare students to reach the module learning outcomes tested in the Summative Assessment. Summative assessment is through a three hour unseen examination. Students are required to answer 4 questions out of 8.

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University of London International Programmes

1

Introduction

Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1.1

The lawyer’s method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

1.2

What does criminal law comprise?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

1.3

Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

1.4

The sources of criminal law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

1.5

Study materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

1.6

Online resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

1.7

Preparing for the examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

1.8

Getting started

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

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University of London International Programmes

Introduction This subject guide is designed to help you to learn, understand, apply and evaluate those aspects of the criminal law which form the syllabus of the University of London International Programmes Criminal law module. It is intended to be read in conjunction with your textbook and has been designed to fit together with it. In each chapter of the subject guide you will be directed to parts of the textbook, the virtual learning environment (VLE) or cases to be found in the Online Library, with a view to answering questions about the subject. In this way your knowledge and understanding of the subject is enhanced. Reading without thinking cannot achieve this.

Criminal law 1 Introduction

1.1 The lawyer’s method Students new to law often think that being a lawyer is all about knowing a lot of law and ‘learning the cases’. Strangely this is not true. The most law you will ever know will probably be around examination time when you have committed a lot of material to memory. As you move from student to practising lawyer, much of this law will be forgotten. But you will have an understanding of the basic principles of each of the subjects you have studied, and you will have internalised the skills and competencies which are so valuable to lawyers’ clients. Proficiency in criminal law involves a number of different skills and competencies, including: u

a knowledge of the rules and principles governing criminal offences

u

an ability to use books, libraries and the internet to discover these rules

u

a basic understanding of the rules of evidence and procedure

u

an ability to identify the rule(s) applicable to a fact situation and to apply them logically and coherently.

Attaining these latter competencies is necessary to discharge effectively the day-today tasks of a criminal lawyer – whether student, solicitor, advocate or judge. However, true mastery requires something further. It requires also a critical and evaluative attitude. The criminal law in action is not just a matter of doctrine. The purpose of criminal law doctrine is the delivery of criminal justice and criminal justice is a contingent outcome in which rule, process and context all play their part. Understanding criminal law requires, therefore, an appreciation of the day-to-day workings of the criminal justice system. Moreover, it requires an understanding of the resources of the criminal law to produce substantive justice. The criminal law is not just a set of rules. It is underpinned by ethical and political principles designed to ensure both justice to the individual and protection to the community the individual inhabits. If the mechanical application of a given rule to a fact situation acquits a dangerous or wicked person, or convicts someone neither dangerous nor blameworthy according to ordinary standards, something has gone wrong. Studen...