scholarly journals The structure, coherence and limits of inchoate liability: the new ulterior element

Legal Studies ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 537-559
Author(s):  
JJ Child
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Law ◽  
New Method ◽  
Mens Rea ◽  
Conceptual Coherence ◽  
The Law

This paper explores the role of ulterior intention (and ulterior mens rea more generally) within the criminal law. Divided into three sections, we first question the role and location of ulterior mens rea within the offence elements of acts, circumstances and results. Concluding that such accommodation is conceptually unsound, we highlight the problems this has caused in the context of inchoate liability, where the separation of elements is now essential to the application of the law. Central to this discussion is the problematic attempts case of AG Ref (No. 3 of 1992) [1994] 1 WLR 409. We contend that best way forward is to recognise a new ulterior mens rea element. Such an element has the potential to maintain conceptual coherence between offence elements and resolve substantive problems arising in the context of inchoate liability, as well as creating a new method for limiting inchoate liability (and infinite inchoate liability) from the potential for over-criminalisation.

scholarly journals The History of the Development of the French Laws on Criminal Liability of Legal Entities

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 46-56
Author(s):  
Aleksandr V. Fedorov ◽  
◽  
Mikhail V. Krichevtsev ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Law ◽  
Criminal Liability ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
Economic Crime ◽  
Penal Code ◽  
Criminal Prosecution ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Law ◽  
Legal Entities

The article reviews the history of development of French laws on criminal liability of legal entities. The authors note that the institution of criminal liability of legal entities (collective criminal liability) dates back to the ancient times and has been forming in the French territory for a long time. Initially, it was established in the acts on collective liability residents of certain territories, in particular, in the laws of the Salian Franks. This institution was inherited from the Franks by the law of the medieval France, and got transferred from the medieval period to the French criminal law of the modern period. The article reviews the laws of King Louis XIV as an example of establishment of collective criminal liability: the Criminal Ordinance of 1670 and the Ordinances on Combating Vagrancy and Goods Smuggling of 1706 and 1711. For the first time ever, one can study the Russian translation of the collective criminal liability provisions of the said laws. The authors state that although the legal traditions of collective liability establishment were interrupted by the transformations caused by the French Revolution of 1789 to 1794, criminal liability of legal entities remained in Article 428 of the French Penal Code of 1810 as a remnant of the past and was abolished only as late as in 1957. The publication draws attention to the fact that the criminal law codification process was not finished in France, and some laws stipulating criminal liability of legal entities were in effect in addition to the French Penal Code of 1810: the Law on the Separation of Church and State of December 9, 1905; the Law of January 14, 1933; the Law on Maritime Trade of July 19, 1934; the Ordinance on Criminal Prosecution of the Press Institutions Cooperating with Enemies during World War II of May 5, 1945. The authors describe the role of the Nuremberg Trials and the documents of the Council of Europe in the establishment of the French laws on criminal liability of legal entities, in particular, Resolution (77) 28 On the Contribution of Criminal Law to the Protection of the Environment, Recommendation No. R (81) 12 On Economic Crime, the Recommendation No. R (82) 15 On the Role of Criminal Law in Consumer Protection and Recommendation No. (88) 18 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States Concerning Liability of Enterprises Having Legal Personality for Offences Committed in the Exercise of Their Activities. The authors conclude that the introduction of the institution of criminal liability of legal entities is based on objective conditions and that research of the history of establishment of the laws on collective liability is of great importance for understanding of the modern legal regulation of the issues of criminal liability of legal entities.

Seeking Reconciliation

2020 ◽  
pp. 88-124
Author(s):  
Arzoo Osanloo
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Law ◽  
Cycle Of Violence ◽  
Considerable Influence ◽  
The Family ◽  
The Law ◽  
The Right ◽  
Legitimate Violence ◽  
Sense Of Power ◽  
The Way

This chapter studies the operations of the Iranian criminal law and analyzes how the procedural administration of the law animates the shariʻa. Iranian criminal laws provide many avenues for victims to forgo retributive sanctioning. But preserving the right of retribution serves several purposes: maintaining the sovereign's monopoly on legitimate violence, giving victims a sense of power, and halting the cycle of violence. The way Iran achieves this comprises an interesting balancing act between maintaining the monopoly over legitimate violence and granting individual victims the right of retribution, which its leaders believe, through their interpretation of the shariʻa, cannot be appropriated by the sovereign. Since the law categorizes intentional murder as qisas and leaves judges with no discretion in sentencing, the judges may use their considerable influence to pressure the family to forgo retribution. The chapter then considers the role of judges and examines how the laws (substantive and procedural) shape their reasoning and discretion in both sentencing and encouraging forbearance.

2. Actus reus

2021 ◽  
pp. 34-78
Author(s):  
Michael J. Allen ◽  
Ian Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Law ◽  
Mens Rea ◽  
Actus Reus ◽  
The Law ◽  
State Of Affairs

Course-focused and contextual, Criminal Law provides a succinct overview of the key areas on the law curriculum balanced with thought-provoking contextual discussion. This chapter explains the concept of actus reus. It discusses the elements of crime, defining an actus reus, proving an actus reus, that conduct must be voluntary, state of affairs offences, omissions liability (situations in which a person will be liable for failing to act), causation (including the principles of factual and legal causation), and coincidence in time of actus reus and mens rea. ‘The law in context’ feature analyses critically English law’s approach to liability for causing another person’s suicide.

4. Negligence and strict liability

2021 ◽  
pp. 126-150
Author(s):  
Michael J. Allen ◽  
Ian Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Criminal Law ◽  
Criminal Liability ◽  
Strict Liability ◽  
European Convention ◽  
Mens Rea ◽  
The Law ◽  
Sexual Services

Course-focused and contextual, Criminal Law provides a succinct overview of the key areas on the law curriculum balanced with thought-provoking contextual discussion. This chapter discusses the meaning of negligence, arguments for and against negligence as a basis for criminal liability, the meaning of strict liability, the origins of and justifications for strict liability, the presumption of mens rea in offences of strict liability, defences to strict liability, and strict liability and the European Convention on Human Rights. The feaeture ‘The law in context’ examines critically the use of strict liability as the basis for liability in the offence of paying for the sexual services of a person who has been subject to exploitation.

7. Murder

2020 ◽  
pp. 160-179
Author(s):  
David Ormerod ◽  
Karl Laird
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Law ◽  
Mens Rea ◽  
The Law

This chapter examines the law on murder. It considers when does life begin and end for the purposes of the law of murder; should an intention to cause really serious harm suffice as the mens rea for murder; and how might this area of the law be reformed so as to reflect generally recognized principles of the criminal law?

Criminal Law Concentrate

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Herring
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Law ◽  
Criminal Liability ◽  
Strict Liability ◽  
Mens Rea ◽  
Sexual Offences ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Actus Reus ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
The Law

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. Criminal Law Concentrate covers fundamental principles of this area of law and helps the reader to succeed in exams. Topics covered include the basis of criminal liability, actus reus, mens rea, and strict liability. The chapters also examine offences such as non-fatal offences, sexual offences, homicide, inchoate offences, theft, and fraud. Defences are also examined in the final two chapters. This edition has been updated to include: recent developments in the law and new cases such as Jogee, Conroy, Golds, Ivey, and Joyce; more detail on sexual offences; more revision tips and tables to improve learning; and an ‘Exam essentials’ feature.

Criminal Law Concentrate

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Herring
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Law ◽  
Criminal Liability ◽  
Strict Liability ◽  
Mens Rea ◽  
Sexual Offences ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Actus Reus ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
The Law

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. Criminal Law Concentrate covers fundamental principles of this area of law and helps the reader to succeed in exams. Topics covered include the basis of criminal liability, actus reus, mens rea, and strict liability. The chapters also examine offences such as non-fatal offences, sexual offences, homicide, inchoate offences, theft, and fraud. Defences are also examined in the final two chapters. This edition has been updated to include: recent developments in the law and new cases such as Jogee, Conroy, Golds, Ivey, and Joyce; more detail on sexual offences; more revision tips and tables to improve learning; and an ‘Exam essentials’ feature.

Conditional intention

Legal Studies ◽  
1982 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Law ◽  
General Problem ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Mens Rea ◽  
The Law

In this article I wish to deal with a problem about the analysis of intention in criminal law. The issue I want to take up has arisen primarily in the context of theft and theft-related offences. However, there is no reason to suppose that it is a problem confined to theft. It could arise in any area of the criminal law which involves intention as constitutive of mens rea.The general problem can be stated very briefly. How is the law to deal with an accused who intended to perform some act which, if performed with simple intention, would be an offence, when he intended to perform that act only if some contingency occurred? The case law on theft demonstrates that, far from being an arcane question, this is a live issue. This is for the simple reason that a great many intentions are intentions of this conditional nature.

scholarly journals Truth, knowledge, and the standard of proof in criminal law

Synthese ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 197 (12) ◽  
pp. 5253-5286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clayton Littlejohn
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Law ◽  
Expected Value ◽  
Statistical Evidence ◽  
Epistemic Value ◽  
Decision Under Risk ◽  
Standard Of Proof ◽  
The Law ◽  
Practical Question ◽  
As If

AbstractCould it be right to convict and punish defendants using only statistical evidence? In this paper, I argue that it is not and explain why it would be wrong. This is difficult to do because there is a powerful argument for thinking that we should convict and punish defendants using statistical evidence. It looks as if the relevant cases are cases of decision under risk and it seems we know what we should do in such cases (i.e., maximize expected value). Given some standard assumptions about the values at stake, the case for convicting and punishing using statistical evidence seems solid. In trying to show where this argument goes wrong, I shall argue (against Lockeans, reliabilists, and others) that beliefs supported only by statistical evidence are epistemically defective and (against Enoch, Fisher, and Spectre) that these epistemic considerations should matter to the law. To solve the puzzle about the role of statistical evidence in the law, we need to revise some commonly held assumptions about epistemic value and defend the relevance of epistemology to this practical question.

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