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1
© Brendan Foley, City Colleges
www.citycolleges.ie 1850252740 [email protected]
FE1 CRIMINAL LAW NIGHT BEFORE NOTES
Classification of a Crime
• What is a crime
o Melling –v- O’Mathgamhna (no comprehensive definition, but various key
factors to be considered and applied)
o Public Wrongdoing / Requirement of Mens Rea / Criminal Procedure and
Vocabulary / Punishment
o DPP –v- Boyle , McLoughlin –v- Tuite , Registrar of Companies –v- System
Partners Ltd , Goodman –v- Hamilton , Gilligan –v- Criminal Assets Bureau
• Different potential classifications of criminal offences
o Major, minor, summary, indictable, triable-either-way, arrestable (s. 2(1)
Criminal Law Act 1997), serious offence (s.1(1) Bail Act 1997).
o Distinction of minor offence key as may be tried by courts of summary
jurisdiction – Article 38.2.
o Distinction mainly on severity of punishment and the moral quality of the
accused’s conduct – Melling.
Actus Reus
• Must be a positive act – dichotomy of where something is an act or omission
particularly explored in Airedale NHS Trust –v- Bland - but various exceptions
where an omission will suffice:
o Special Relationship – husband and wife (People (DPP) –v- O’Brien), parent
and child (R –v- Gibbons and Proctor – includes where in loco parentis)
o Voluntary Assumption of Responsibility – R –v- Instan , R –v- Stone and
Dobinson
o Where person created the risk – R –v- Miller
o Where fails duty imposed by contract – R –v- Pitwood
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© Brendan Foley, City Colleges
www.citycolleges.ie 1850252740 [email protected]
• Causation
o The accused’s conduct must have contributed to the end result in some
sufficient way – a minor cause not above a basic level of de minimis will not
suffice – The People (DPP) –v- Davis
o Accordingly, what acts would break the chain of causation from action to
result?
o Medical Treatment – considered broadly across R –v- Jordan , R –v- Smith
and R –v- Cheshire – very much resiled from Jordan. Causation found if injury
still an operating and substantial cause of death and negligence in medical
treatment will only act as a novus actus interveniens if meets Cheshire test of
sufficient potency and independence in its own right;
o Good Samaritan – People (AG) –v- McGrath
o External Influence – Impress Ltd –v- Rees
o Involuntary reactions of third parties – e.g. police returning fire on hostage-
taker (R –v- Pagett)
o Forces of Nature – R –v- Hallett
o Conduct of the Victim – R –v- Kennedy
o Eggshell Skull Rule – must take your victim as you find them, with all their
beliefs, idiosyncrasies and physiological flaws, even an ‘eggshell skull’. See
generally, R-v- Holland , R –v- Blaue (refusal of treatment)
Mens Rea
Must coincide with actus reus – Fagan –v- Metropolitan Police Commissioner ,
Kaitamaki –v- R , R –v- Thabo Meli.
Along with Actus Reus – critical to identify in examining all offences / sections and
demonstrate as present in any problem question.
• Intention
o Can be direct or indirect – age-old issue is difficulty in determining what
was in person’s mind. Natural and probable consequences of the action
shall be construed as intended
▪ The People (DPP) –v- Douglas and Hayes
▪ Hyam –v- DPP / R – v- Moloney / R –v- Hancock and Shankland / R –v-
Nedrick / R –v- Woolin (explore development of though on law on
‘indirect intention’.
• Recklessness
o Objective or Subjective?
▪ R –v- Cunningham
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www.citycolleges.ie 1850252740 [email protected]
▪ R –v- Caldwell
▪ The above now found to be restricted by R –v- G
▪ The People (DPP) –v- Murray
• Knowledge
o The People (DPP) –v- Foley
o Hanlon –v- Fleming
• Strict Liability
o CC –v- Ireland & Others
o Whitehouse –v- Lennon and Gay News
o Focus on assessment of the object of the legislation and seriousness of the
crime key for the determination of whether a crime is one of strict liability or
not – M’Adam –v- Dublin United Tramways Company Ltd , Shannon Regional
Fisheries Board –v- Cavan County Council , Maguire –v- Shannon Regional
Fisheries Board , CC case.
o Recent developments since CC: DPP-v-Cagney; Reilly-v-Judge Patwell
(Absolute Liability)
(*Further note)
Complicity in Offences
• Common Design
o R –v- Anderson and Morris
o Has one party exceeded the bounds of the agreed act – The People (DPP) –v-
Murray The People (DPP) –v- Ryan , The People (DPP) –v- Eccles
o The People (DPP) –v- Cumberton (what was contemplated by one, but not
communicated, is not relevant – key is what is tacitly (or expressly) agreed)
o R –v- Ngango Recent UK House of Lords Decision on topic
• Liability also as an Accessory
o s.7(1), Criminal Law Act 1997 – aids, abets, counsels or procures
▪ R –v- Giannetto (the slightest encouragement can be sufficient)
▪ Attorney General’s Reference (No.1 of 1975)
▪ Must know or intend though that your conduct would aid, abet,
counsel or procure - The People (AG) –v- Ryan , The People (DPP) –v-
Egan , The People (DPP) –v- Madden
▪ Withdrawal is possible – but must be complete and visible from
external behaviour – R –v- Whitehouse , R –v- Becerra and Cooper
o s.7(2), Criminal Law Act 1997 – liability for accessories after the fact
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© Brendan Foley, City Colleges
www.citycolleges.ie 1850252740 [email protected]
Homicide
• Murder
o s.4, Criminal Justice Act, 1964 – transferred malice and statutory
acknowledgement at s.4(2) of having intended the natural and probable
consequences. Case law above on mens rea / actus reus often key.
o s.3, Criminal Justice Act, 1990 – formerly known as capital murder.
Recklessness, Attempt. DPP-v-Murray
• Manslaughter
o Assault Manslaughter
▪ R –v- Holzer
▪ R –v- Hayward (psychic assault can be sufficient)
o Criminal Negligence Manslaughter
▪ People (AG) –v- Dunleavy
▪ The People (DPP) –v- Cullagh
o Criminal and Dangerous Act Manslaughter
▪ R –v- Church
▪ People (AG) –v- Crosbie and Meehan
o Corporate Manslaughter – LRC Report 2007, LRC Issue Paper January 2016.
▪ Recommendation for Corporate Crime be enacted.
▪ Corporate manslaughter – corporate liability for manslaughter be based on a test of gross negligence, formulated around a breach of duty.
o
Individual corporate criminal liability - individual offence of manslaughter should apply to ‘high managerial agents’ defined as: “a person being a director, manager or other similar officer of the undertaking, or a person who purports to act in any such capacity, whether or not that person has a contract of employment with the undertaking.”
o
• Infanticide
• Suicide – assistances still criminalised s.2(2) Criminal Law (Suicide Act). Flemming-v-
Ireland
• Euthanasia
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© Brendan Foley, City Colleges
www.citycolleges.ie 1850252740 [email protected]
Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person (1997 Act)
Like many of the offences, these are easily found in parts of questions, across the
exam. Key is knowing the requisite offences, the legislative provision and
identification and exploration of requirements of actus reus and mens rea for
same.
• Assault under s.2
o DPP –v- K (can be indirect application of force)
o R –v- Thomas
o R –v- Ireland
• Assault Causing Harm under s.3(1)
o Distinct offence, considered in Minister for Justice, Equality and Law
Reform –v- Dolny
• Causing Serious Harm
o The People (DPP) –v- Kirwan
• Assault with intent (s.18(1), Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994)
• Threats to kill or seriously harm (s.5(1) of the 1997 Act)
• Syringe Attacks (s.6, s.7, s.8)
• Harassment (s.10)
• Poisoning (s.12)
• Endangerment (s.13)
• False Imprisonment (s.15) – Bird –v- Jones , Kane –v- Governor of Mountjoy
Prison
• Child Abduction (s.16 , s.17)
Sexual Offences
Critical to all sexual offences is inevitably the question of consent – is it full and
informed consent?
• DPP –v- C (must be voluntary agreement or acquiescence……by a person of the
age of consent with the mental capacity….knowledge or understanding of facts
material to the act…..is necessary to be voluntary or constitute acquiescence)
• s.9, Criminal Law (Rape) Amendment Act 1990 – a failure to resist does not
constitute acquiescence or consent. Key as one may be too drunk (R –v-
Malone) / asleep (R –v- Mayers) / fearful of resisting (R –v- Olugboja / R –v-
Wellard)
• Fraud on nature of sexual act –R-v- Williams
• Fraud on quality of act – R –v- Clarence / R-v- Currier
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• Fraud as to identity –DPP – v- C / Papadimitropoulos –v- R (fraud over personal
attributes will not vitiate consent)
• Note exceptions: DPP-v-Drought
• Rape
o Governed under s.2(1), Criminal Law (Rape) Act 1981. Male specific
offence against women. Mens rea is knowledge or recklessness as to
consent – however, an honest belief that consenting will hold someone
not to have the requisite mens rea – s.2(2).
o DPP –v- Morgan / The People (DPP) –v- McDonagh
• Sexual Assault
o s.2(1), Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990 – revised the offence
of indecent assault and changed it to a gender-neutral offence – capable
of perpetration by either a man or a woman.
o Naturally an assault to begin with, but question is whether there was a
sexual nature to the assault.
o R –v- Court
o R –v- Bernier
• Aggravated Sexual Assault (s.3(1) of the 1990 Act)
o Sexual assault that either (i) involves the use or threat of serious
violence, or (ii) is such as to cause injury, humiliation or degradation of a
grave nature to the person assaulted
• Rape under s.4 of the 1990 Act
o Broadened the law so as not as limited by the 1981 Act. Be aware of
what elements still fall outside same.
• Sexual Offences Against Children
o The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2006 repealed and replaced the
old legislation – s.2(1) , s.3(1). Defence of honest mistake now
introduced and acknowledged – s.2(3) , s.3(5).
o MD (a minor) v Ireland, Attorney General and the DPP. Equality and
legislation. Express differentiation in re. Sexual Intercourse and only
where female is under 17 years.
• Criminal Justice (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 – reforms of the law, including
stronger sanctions, aimed at protecting children from sexual exploitation; child
pornography and online grooming.
• Incest
o Punishment of Incest Act 1908 – some reform by Criminal Law (Incest
Proceedings) Act 1995
• Mental Impairment
o The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1995
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© Brendan Foley, City Colleges
www.citycolleges.ie 1850252740 [email protected]
Property Offences
• Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001
• Theft
o s.4(1), dishonest appropriation of property, without consent, with intention
of depriving owner of it.
o R –v- Lawrence , People (DPP) –v- O’Loughlin
o Inference of dishonesty may be drawn from conduct – DPP –v- Morrissey
o People (DPP) –v- Keating (offence of stealing in shop may be formed when
goods are taken from shelf)
o Dishonesty is a subjective assessment – emphasised under s.4(5)
• Robbery
o S.14 of 2001 Act – requirement of theft accompanied by
o R –v- Dawson and James (does not need to be of a violent nature)
o R –v- Clauden (no need to resist)
o The People (DPP) –v- Mangan (force can be sufficient if induces fear in the
victim)
• Burglary
o S.12 of the Act – both types of burglary to be noted.
o Question of entry and whether sufficient – R –v- Ryan
o Barker –v- R – may change status to a trespasser from a visitor
o Also aggravated burglary (s.13) – where in possession of firearm, imitation
firearm, weapon or explosive – must have actus reus and mens rea of
possession, as well as that of burglary – R –v- Murphy
• Other offences to be noted
o Handling Stolen Property (s.17)
o Deception Offences (s.6 , s.7)
o Making off without payment (s.8)
o Unlawful use of computer (s.9) **
o False Accounting (s.10)
o Forgery (s.25-s.28)
o Criminal Damage (incl. Arson) – Criminal Damage Act 1991
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© Brendan Foley, City Colleges
www.citycolleges.ie 1850252740 [email protected]
Contempt of Court
• Criminalisation key to protect against conduct that would be destructive to the
general administration of justice.
o State (DPP) –v- Walsh
o State (Keegan) –v- de Burca
• Contempt in the face of the Court – Morris –v- Crown Court / Re: O’Kelly (important
judgement regarding reporters and the offence)
• Scandalising the Court – ‘wild and baseless accusations of corruption so as to lower
judges in the eyes of the public’.
o People (AG) –v- O’Ryan & Boyd
• Sub-judice Rule – again important from reporters perspective – nature of being
unlawful to comment on proceedings which are still in being – only factual reporting
o Kelly –v- O’Neill
Inchoate Offences
• Incitement
o Persuading, coercing, including threats and pressure, or otherwise causing
another to commit a crime
▪ Race Relations Board –v- Applin
▪ People (AG) –v- Capaldi (….[an] action would be an incitement if, but
for it, it would not have occurred to the party incited to commit the
crime, whether he had any particular reluctance to commit it or
not…)
▪ Must be capable of being able to commit the crime – R –v-
Whitehouse
▪ No need to communicate incitement to a person in particular – R –v-
Marlow
▪ Also note Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989 – People (DPP)
–v- O’Grady , People (DPP) –v- Callan (Further note)
• Conspiracy
o An agreement to carry out a wrongful act – agreement being the key
element of the actus reus - R –v- Parnell , People (AG) –v- Keane. Must also
be, in mens rea, the intention to agree to commit the unlawful act and that
the person would take some steps in its furtherance (R –v- Anderson)
o Is impossibility a defence to such crime – UK, yes - DPP –v- Nock . R –v- Sew
Hoy. Canada, no - United States of America –v- Dynar.
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© Brendan Foley, City Colleges
www.citycolleges.ie 1850252740 [email protected]
o Also offence of ‘conspiracy to corrupt public morals’ seen in Knuller –v- DPP ,
SPUC –v- Open Door Counselling Ltd . Rejected in Australia – R –v- Cahill
o Criminal Justice Act 2006 – S.71.
• Attempt
o People (AG) –v- Thornton – an attempt is an act done by the accused with a
specific intent to commit a crime, which must go beyond mere preparatory
acts.
o Key therefore is whether the act is sufficiently proximate to the commission
of the crime in order to constitute an offence
▪ R –v- Jones
▪ R –v- Campbell
▪ Irish law not very generous on question of proximity, see Thornton ,
The People (AG) –v- Sullivan
▪ Mens rea for the specific substantive offence must also be present –
The People (DPP) –v- Douglas and Hayes
Defences
Vital area to prepare – must be able to explore individual defences in detail for an
essay style question focused on one in particular and also to bring same in and
analyse as part of a problem based question focusing on someone’s ‘criminal
liability’
• Lawful Use of Force
o Non-fatal offences – s.18 – 20 of the 1997 Act
o Fatal – necessity and proportionality – may be full defence, or reduce murder
to manslaughter (People (AG) –v- Dwyer)
▪ People (AG) –v- Keatley
▪ People (DPP) –v- Commane
▪ R –v- McInnes (not viable if opportunity to retreat)
▪ People (AG) –v- Coffey , DPP for Northern Ireland –v- Browne (no use
if ulterior motive / have created the situation)
▪ The People (DPP) –v- Barnes
▪ The People (DPP) –v- Nally
▪ Criminal Law (Defence and the Dwelling) Act 2011
• Insanity & Automatism
o Substantial reform by the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006 – old law seen
from R –v- M’Naghten
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© Brendan Foley, City Colleges
www.citycolleges.ie 1850252740 [email protected]
o Disease of the mind a key criteria – analysed in various cases, R –v- Kemp ,
Bratty –v- AG for Northern Ireland , R –v- Quick (hypoglycaemia – external
factor – automatism) , R –v- Hennessy (hyperglycaemia – internal factor –
insanity)
o Must cause a defect of reason
▪ People (DPP) –v- O’Donnell
▪ People (AG) –v- Hayes
o Irresistible impulse – codified by s.5(1) of the 2006 Act – Doyle –v- Wicklow
County Council
o Diminished Responsibility – s.6 of 2006 Act re: murder.
o Must cause a defect of reason
o External influences causing a defect of reason – see diabetes cases
mentioned above as examples. Some debate as to ‘disassociative state’ and
whether insanity / automatism defence – R –v- Falconer , R –v- Stone , R –v-
Rabey
o Application of Gallagher (No.2) (1996) - cannot be detained on grounds of
risk alone as this would be preventative detention.
o Problems with 2006 Act – Michael Greaney. Found not guilty by reason of
insanity of assault causing harm, and false imprisonment. Psychiatrist report
recommended Order be lifted that he stay away from the family home.
Granted by the judge. Two days later it was discovered he killed his wife,
daughter and himself. Raises question. Cases demonstrates law is in fact of
need of reform to strengthen the rights of the individuals concerned, e.g.
there is a need for more frequent reviews of detention by the Review Board
as the cases of those detained under the civil legislation - the Mental Health
Act 2001 - are reviewed more frequently. The law also urgently needs to be
changed to remove the "insanity" label from such individuals, a label which is
entirely inappropriate and anachronistic.
• Intoxication
o Was person so intoxicated so as to be incapable of forming the mens rea
required.
o People (AG) –v- Manning – mere drunkenness is not sufficient
o R –v- Lipman – can be intoxication by drink or drugs
o Distinction to be drawn between crimes of specific and basic intent, as
defence not open for reliance for crimes of basic intent
▪ DPP –v- Beard
▪ DPP –v- Majewski
▪ The People (DPP) –v- Reilly
o Self-induced intoxication / ‘Dutch Courage’ not open for the defence to be
relied upon – AG for Northern Ireland –v- Gallagher
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© Brendan Foley, City Colleges
www.citycolleges.ie 1850252740 [email protected]
• Duress
o Not suitable as defence for murder, The People (AG) –v- Whelan
o Did it overbear the ordinary power of human resistance? Was there an
opportunity for the will to reassert itself? Was there an opportunity to
escape?
▪ R –v- Howe (objective standard)
▪ R –v- Hudson & Taylor (must be a level of immediacy)
▪ R –v- Conway (proximity of relationship to threatened person may
also be an issue
▪ R –v- Hurley and Murray
▪ DPP for Northern Ireland –v- Fitzpatrick (defence unavailablle where
person has voluntarily exposed themselves to the risks inherent)
▪ R –v- Martin
▪ R –v- Abdul-Hussain
o Note for an essay question, the comments of Law Reform Commission on its
Consultation Paper on Duress and Necessity
• Necessity
o Classical exposition of limit and scope of defence seen in R –v- Dudley and
Stephens
o See also Re: A (Children)
• Provocation (*address inline with Chapter on Homicide)
o Defence only to murder – for other crimes only a factor to be considered
when passing sentence. Factors of key assessment are the extent of loss of
self-control caused by the provocation and the reasonableness of the
reaction to the provocation:
▪ The People (DPP) –v- MacEoin
▪ The People (DPP) –v- Mullane
▪ The People (DPP) –v- Kelly
▪ The People (DPP) –v- Delaney
o Problems with defence – because test subjective in Ireland
▪ The People (DPP) v. Kieran Lynch [2015] IECCA 6. ▪ The People (DPP) v. Hussain [2014] IECCA 26 ▪ The People (DPP) v. Curran [2011]3 IR 785. ▪ The LRC has recommended a draft legislative provision effectively
bringing in a modified objective standard to apply where provocation is raised.
o “Sudden and temporary loss of self-control.” “Concession to human frailty”
(Charleton)
• Mistake
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www.citycolleges.ie 1850252740 [email protected]
o Ignorance of the law / mistaken understanding is no defence – R –v- Reid ,
People (DPP) –v- Healy
o Mistake on facts though may justify a defence in circumstances – e.g. honest
mistake as to force / protection of persons / whether person was consenting
to sexual intercourse (*see Chapter on Sexual Offences)
▪ People (AG) –v- Dwyer
▪ DPP –v- Morgan
• Unconstitutionality
o CC –v- Ireland
In Damache v DPP & AG, IESC [201] (“Damache”) the Supreme court decided
that Section 29(1) of the Offences against the State Act, 1939 as
unconstitutional. S.29(1) permitted a person, not independent of an
investigation, to issue a search warrant for the purposes of the investigation.
The court found that a police officer engaged in an investigation is not an
independent person for these purposes and therefore that his warrant was
issued in breach of the constitution.
Procedural Elements in Criminal Law
• Courts of Criminal Jurisdiction in Ireland – be able to run through and explain same
and the applicable jurisdiction for each. (*Further Notes in manual: Court of Criminal
Appeal, Central Criminal Court and Special Criminal Court composition and
jurisdiction are popular questions)
o Scope, Composition, Jurisdiction (Appellate Jurisdiction – if any, e.g., District
Court has none)
• Arrest – without warrant (s.4, Criminal Law Act 1997)
o Only in respect of arrestable offences
• Arrest – with warrant
o Structure of same on basis of ‘complaint’, must be raised and presented in
good faith
• Rights and general principles
o To be informed of basis – DPP –v- Connell , The People (DPP) –v- Walsh
o Reasonable Expedition – The People (DPP) –v- Boylan , The People (DPP) –v-
Cleary
o To be charged at first reasonable opportunity – Dunne –v- Clinton
o Reasonable access to legal representation - DPP v Gormley [2014]
Questioning cannot begin until Solicitor arrives and - possibly - Solicitor
should be allowed sit in during interviews
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© Brendan Foley, City Colleges
www.citycolleges.ie 1850252740 [email protected]
• This 2014 Gormley case Alters previous regime under Lavery v MIC
Carrickmacross, DPP v Gormally {2010 - not 2014], DPP v O’Brien, DPP
v Finnegan, DPP v Buck
• Detention (note time periods, requirements for each provision)
o s.4, Criminal Justice Act 1984
o s.30, Offences Against the State Act 1939 – The People (DPP) –v- Byrne / The
People (DPP) –v- Kelly / The People (DPP) –v- Farrell
o s.2, Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996
o s.50, Criminal Justice Act 2007 • Presumption of Innocence
o Article 38.1
• Woolmington –v- DPP
• The People (DPP) –v- D.O’T
• O’Leary –v- AG
• Hardy –v- Ireland
• The Right to Silence
o Being chipped away at by legislation?
o Heaney –v- Ireland – s.52, Offences Against the State Act 1939
o Heaney and McGuiness –v- Ireland (on appeal to ECHR)
o Rock –v- Ireland – s.18 / 19, Criminal Justice Act 1984
o Now amended by ss. 28 and 29, Criminal Justice Act 2007
• Bail
o People (AG) –v- O’Callaghan
o Bail Act 1997, amended by the Criminal Justice Act 2007
• Spent Convictions
o Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions and Certain Disclosures) Bill 2012. Passed
into law on 6th February 2016, not signed into law yet.
o Certain minor convictions more than 7 years old will become ‘spent’ and no
longer have to be declared, thus removing barriers to employment,
education, training, housing and insurance for tens of thousands of people in
Ireland who have moved on from past offending behaviour.
• Fingerprints and DNA Database
• Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence and DNA Database System) Act, 2014. Fully
enacted November 2015.
• New regime for obtaining and retaining forensic samples for evidential purposes
• General Note
• The City Colleges Criminal Law manual was comprehensively updated in 2011 to
deal with the procedure section of the criminal syllabus to the levels and extent
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© Brendan Foley, City Colleges
www.citycolleges.ie 1850252740 [email protected]
required by the Law Society examiner. It is noteworthy that the level of criticism
levelled against candidates attempting and poorly answering the procedural
questions has been high. Deference to the manual and lecture notes will assist
students to this end.
15
© Brendan Foley, City Colleges
www.citycolleges.ie 1850252740 [email protected]
Criminal Law Outline
Introduction: overview of criminal offences and criminal law
A brief introduction to how criminal liability operates
Difference between criminal wrongs and civil wrongs and difficulties in defining what
a crime is
The place of criminal law in the legal system: how criminal offences are made:
legislation and judge-made law
Applying precedent (past cases) and applying legislation (statutes)
Constitutional restraints on what can be designated as criminal and
ongoing debates about criminalisation
Functions of the criminal law: form of social control (a system of rules): to
regulate and prohibit; orders with punitive sanction behind them
Deterrence, retribution and other principles of punishment
The criminal law system and the criminal trial
The main features of the criminal process
Court structure – trial courts and appeal courts
Classification of crime: Summary offences and indictable offences
Brief outline of trial procedure: prosecution and defence
The presumption of innocence and the burden of proof
Rules of evidence: exclusionary rule and hearsay rule
Sentencing procedure, policy, and principles
Part B: Criminal Liability – The General Part
The actus reus – the external elements of offences
The concept of criminal liability; the way liability operates
The actus reus (prohibited act) the mens rea (guilty mind)
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Offences and defences
The principles and rules that apply to the actus reus
Voluntariness: the need for a defendant to have been the author of his or her
actions
Causation: the need for a causal link between defendant’s actions and a prohibited
result, and the kind of intervening acts which are considered to break this link
Liability for omissions: the extent to which you can be held criminally liable for not
doing something as distinguished from doing something
Mens rea – culpability requirements of offences
The concept of mens rea: the need for a person to be mentally culpable – such that
he or she can be said to be blameworthy or at fault – in order for criminal liability to
be imposed on him or her
Different culpability states: intention, recklessness and others
Intention: direct intention and oblique intention
Recklessness: consciously taking an unjustifiable risk; advertent and inadvertent
recklessness
Strict liability: the extent to which you can be held liable for your actions in respect
of which you are blameless or blameworthy to a relatively minor degree
The relevance of intoxication: might extreme drunkenness exculpate?
The relevance of mistake: mistake of law and mistake of fact
Relationship between external elements and mental elements of offences
Coincidence of actus reus and mens rea
Transferred malice
Part C: General principles expanding and reducing criminal liability
Secondary liability
Liability for participation in crime: to “aid, abet, counsel or procure” a crime attracts
criminal liability as if one performed the crime oneself
Doctrine of common design: the extent to which you can be held liable for the
actions of your associates when embarking together on a criminal enterprise
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Inchoate liability
Criminal liability for attempting, inciting and conspiring to commit crimes
So-called impossible attempts: is it attempted murder to shoot, with intent
to kill, what is actually a dummy, mistakenly believing it’s your enemy?
Defences: infancy, insanity, self-defence, provocation, duress and necessity
Child under 12 years not to be prosecuted (subject to exceptions)
The legal concept of insanity and its relevance to criminal liability
Diminished responsibility as a defence to murder
The limits of self-defence; killing in self-defence or “legitimate defence”
Provocation as a defence to murder
The defence of duress and its limits
The scope for necessity to be a defence
Part D: Criminal Liability – the Special Part
Homicide: Murder and Manslaughter
The elements and scope of murder
Manslaughter: Gross negligence manslaughter, and unlawful and dangerous act
manslaughter
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© Brendan Foley, City Colleges
www.citycolleges.ie 1850252740 [email protected]
Dublin City Centre (Dublin 2) and Online Website: www.citycolleges.ie Phone: 01-4160034 Email: [email protected] Head of Law: Philip Burke, LLB, BL (087 7679 576) The next course commences June 2016. Lectures are delivered by some of the most experienced and inspiring law lecturers in the country and are also streamed live as well as recorded and made available for review online.
Ireland’s best, and most experienced FE1 law lecturers, including Brendan Foley, Philip Burke, Mark Cockerill, Caroline Bergin-Cross, Trish Cronin and Ciarán Lawlor
The most up-to-date and comprehensive FE1 manuals
Live lectures which are also streamed live on Moodle, and are recorded for review
Exam question and solution bank
Dedicated exam review and preview classes
End of course tutorials, as well as memory and study technique classes
City Centre location on South Great George’s Street, convenient for bus, LUAS, DART, etc.
Study rooms
Limited class size Course Fees: €325 per subject, or €2,100 for eight subjects Apply online at www.citycolleges.ie or call 01-4160034