A2 LawUnit 3 Criminal Law

(Offences Against the Person)

9th September 2010

Our Wikiwiki.hastings.ac.uk/groups/lawa2/

My blog:wiki.hastings.ac.uk/users/hoggs/

Your blog:wiki.hastings.ac.uk/users/YOURSTUDENTID/

My Contact:shogg@sussexcoast.ac.uk

Tel: 01424 442222 Ext: 8537M: 07754 783362

AIMS

• Welcome/admin/blogs/exams• What should the law do?• Murder in context• What makes up a act of murder?

Ground Rules

• Rules without purpose are pointless!

Course handbook/text books etc.

• Keep a copy of the handbook • My contact details are always on the front of

my lecture slides

What is the law

• You’ve had a year to think about what the law is. In groups of two or three decide on a sentence that sums up what the law should be for…

• “The law is………….”

Blogs! – I’ll show you how to set up a blog

• How many people have a blog?• Use your blog to post items to discuss in

class.. There’s only so much exam practice we can do, it would be much more interesting if you brought some law related for us to talk about.

This is what we’ve got to cover, from now until half term (25th October)

Homicide

• The unlawful killing of one person by another.– Can take several forms..• Murder (a common law offence)• Involuntary manslaughter• Voluntary manslaughter• Infanticide• Causing death by dangerous driving

Murder

• A very old definition:– Sir Edward Coke, a 17th century judge said murder

is…

What makes up a murder

• Actus rea: a guilty act (the external element)• Mens rea: a guilty mind (the internal element)

• Consider our definition of murder….

• Unlawful killing• Can there be an actus rea for murder even if there is no act?• A reasonable person in being• Under the Queens peace

Be the prosecution..

• Look at the scenarios on your handout and looking at the notes you have just made write down if you think you could find an actus rea for murder.

• Why is it hard to decide?

Causation

• Causation has two parts (can you remember from your AS level?)

• But-for causation:• White (1910) Son tries to poison mother, but she

dies of a heart attack before the poison can take effect

• Legal causation:

• The cause of death has to be significant. Or in other words it has to be more than trifling

The end

• Next week:• Mens rea

• Homework:

• Set up a blog – to be checked next week