Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. Concentrates show you what to expect in a law exam, what examiners are looking for, and how to achieve extra marks. This chapter reviews the actus reus elements of criminal offence. The actus reus consists of prohibited conduct (acts or omissions), prohibited circumstances, and/or prohibited consequences (results). A person can be criminally liable for omissions at common law, but imposing this liability can be controversial. Causation is a key part of consequence/result crimes. The prosecution must prove that the result was caused by the defendant. In order to do this, the chain of causation must first be established, and then consideration must be given to any intervention which might break the chain.
Chapter
2. Actus reus
Chapter
5. Non-fatal offences against the person
Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. Concentrates show you what to expect in a law exam, what examiners are looking for, and how to achieve extra marks. This chapter examines the five principal non-fatal offences against the person: assault and battery (the common assaults) and the offences under ss 47, 20, and 18 Offences Against the Person Act 1861 (OAPA). The victim’s consent may negate the offence, but whether or not it does depends to a great extent on the type of crime, what the victim knows, the extent of the harm which is caused, and matters of public policy. Stalking and harassment may amount to a crime in certain circumstances. Four of the principal assaults are aggravated if the crime committed is motivated by religious or racial hatred.
Chapter
9. Inchoate offences
Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. Concentrates show you what to expect in a law exam, what examiners are looking for, and how to achieve extra marks. This chapter discusses inchoate offences. Inchoate offences are where the full offence is not completed. The reason why the law fixes liability on defendants who have not fulfilled the full offence is to punish those who are willing to be involved in criminality even where the full offence is not, for one reason or another, completed. The law governing all inchoate offences is in a state of flux; the common law offence of incitement was replaced with new offences under the Serious Crime Act 2007. The law governing conspiracy and attempts was the subject of a Law Commission Report in December 2009.
Chapter
11. Theft
Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. Concentrates show you what to expect in a law exam, what examiners are looking for, and how to achieve extra marks. This chapter discusses the crime of theft. There are five elements in theft: appropriation; property; belonging to another; dishonesty; and intention permanently to deprive. The first three listed are the actus reus elements and the last two are the mens rea. The offence is under s 1 Theft Act 1968, but ss 2–6 give (some) guidance on each of the elements.
Chapter
12. Fraud
Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. Concentrates show you what to expect in a law exam, what examiners are looking for, and how to achieve extra marks. This chapter discusses the crime of fraud. The offence of fraud is governed by the Fraud Act 2006. There is only one offence of fraud (s 1 Fraud Act 2006) with three ways of committing it, under ss 2–4. These are: by false representation, by failing to disclose information, and by abuse of position.
Chapter
13. Other property offences
Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. Concentrates show you what to expect in a law exam, what examiners are looking for, and how to achieve extra marks. This chapter examines six offences: criminal damage, robbery, burglary, handling stolen goods, making off without payment, and squatting. What the offences share is that they relate in some way to property. Although rarely examined on their own, these topics are often assessed as part of bigger questions, sometimes incorporating other offences (eg theft, assault) and sometimes involving aspects of the general defences too.
Chapter
6. Sexual offences
Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. Concentrates show you what to expect in a law exam, what examiners are looking for, and how to achieve extra marks. This chapter discusses sexual offences, including rape, assault by penetration, sexual assault, and causing sexual activity. Sexual offences are all governed by the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The meaning of consent is key because lack of consent is an element of the actus reus, and the belief about consent is an element of the mens rea. Where the victim is aged 13 or younger, consent is irrelevant and liability as to age is strict.
Chapter
7. Homicide I
Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. Concentrates show you what to expect in a law exam, what examiners are looking for, and how to achieve extra marks. This chapter discusses murder, arguably the most serious crime in English law. Murder is where D kills V, and D intends to kill or intends to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH). The most common criticism of the offence of murder is that the sentence is mandatory irrespective of whether the mens rea is the more serious form (intent to kill) or the less serious form (intent to cause GBH). There were three partial defences to murder under the Homicide Act 1957 (diminished responsibility, provocation, and suicide pact). There are three partial defences to murder under the Homicide Act 1957 as amended and the Coroners and Justice Act 2009: diminished responsibility, loss of self-control, and suicide pact. The chapter considers the first two in detail. These are partial defences because they result in a conviction for manslaughter rather than a full acquittal.
