scholarly journals The Prejudicial Effects of "Reasonable Steps" in Analysis of Mens Rea and Sexual Consent: Two Solutions

2018 ◽  
pp. 933
Author(s):  
Lucinda Vandervort
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
Common Law ◽  
Criminal Code ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Sexual Consent ◽  
Mens Rea ◽  
State Of Mind ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Is Failure

This article examines the operation of “reasonable steps” as a statutory standard for analysis of the availability of the defence of belief in consent in sexual assault cases and concludes that application of section 273.2(b) of the Criminal Code, as presently worded, often undermines the legal validity and correctness of decisions about whether the accused acted with mens rea, a guilty, blameworthy state of mind. When the conduct of an accused who is alleged to have made a mistake about whether a complainant communicated consent is assessed by the hybrid subjective-objective reasonableness standard prescribed by section 273.2, many decision-makers rely on extra-legal criteria and assumptions grounded in their personal experience and opinion about what is reasonable. In the midst of debate over what the accused knew and what steps were “reasonable,” given what the accused knew, the legal definition of consent in section 273.1 is easily overlooked and decision-makers focus on facts that are legally irrelevant and prejudice rational deliberation. The result is failure to enforce the law. The author proposes: (1) that section 273.2 be amended to reflect the significant developments achieved in sexual consent jurisprudence since enactment of the provision in 1992; and (2) that, in the interim, the judiciary act with resolve to make full and proper use of the statutory and common law tools that are presently available to determine whether the accused acted with mens rea in relation to the absence of sexual consent.

25. Intoxication

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Ormerod ◽  
Karl Laird
Keyword(s):  
Mens Rea ◽  
State Of Mind ◽  
Mental Element ◽  
The Law ◽  
Definition Of

This chapter discusses the law on offences involving intoxication. It distinguishes between voluntary and involuntary intoxication, and between ‘specific’ and ‘basic’ intent. Cases are presented to show that state of mind is both a necessary element in the definition of an offence as well as in some defences. Just as intoxication may cause a person to lack the mens rea of an offence so it may cause him to have the necessary mental element of a defence.

scholarly journals Edad sexual y exclusión de la responsabilidad penal. Fundamentos del Derecho anglosajón

2021 ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
Amparo Martinez Guerra
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Criminal Responsibility ◽  
Common Law ◽  
The United States ◽  
Criminal Code ◽  
Sexual Consent ◽  
Statutory Rape ◽  
Romeo And Juliet ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The One

En los últimos años, la protección de menores frente comportamientos de abuso y explotación sexual ha sido una de las preocupaciones principales en los sistemas legales de Derecho continental y anglosajón. La respuesta de los Legisladores penales ha sido la elevación de la edad de consentimiento sexual de los menores de edad. Sin embargo, la medida provoca problemas interpretativos de índole constitucional que no pueden ser obviados. Por un lado, la posible afectación del derecho fundamental a la privacidad de los propios menores (desarrollo de su sexualidad). Por otro, la proporcionalidad de la sanción penal prevista para ese tipo de delitos, así como los efectos de la inscripción en los Registros de Delincuentes sexuales. En España, la modificación de la LO 1/2015, de 30 de marzo, elevó la edad de consentimiento sexual a los 16 años. La reforma también incluyó el nuevo art. 183 quáter, que permite al Tribunal eximir de responsabilidad penal cuando autor y víctima sean “próximos por edad y grado de desarrollo o madurez”. En los sistemas penales anglosajones esta cláusula, denominada “cláusula de escape” o “cláusula Romeo y Julieta”, es una de las piezas centrales del delito del statutory rape o delito de violación definido por estatuto. Este artículo examina los orígenes, configuración y el fundamento de la exclusión de la responsabilidad penal por “cercanía en edad o desarrollo” en los Estados Unidos de América (sistemas federal y estatal), Reino Unido e Irlanda del Norte, República de Irlanda y Canadá. El artículo analiza también la jurisprudencia más importante al respecto y los problemas constitucionales derivados de las nuevas las edades de consentimiento.In recent years the protection of minors against sexual abuse and exploitation has been one of the main concerns in the Civil and Common Law legal systems. The response of the Criminal Legislators has been the raise of the age of sexual consent of minors. However, this measure causes constitutional problems that cannot be ignored. On the one hand, the conflict with the minor fundamental right of privacy (development of the sexuality). On the other hand, the proportionality of the criminal sanction provided for such crimes, as well as the effects of the registration in the Sex Offenders Registry. In Spain, the amendment introduced by the Organic Law 1/2015, of March 30, raised the age of sexual consent to 16 years. The Law created the new article 183 quater in the Criminal Code to allow the Court to exempt from criminal responsibility when the defendant and the victim are «close in age and development or maturity». In Common Law criminal systems that clause, called «escape clause» or «Romeo and Juliet clause» is one of the central pieces of the statutory rape. This article examines the origins, the elements and the rationale of the exclusion of criminal responsibility for «close in age and development» in the United States of America (federal and state law), the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, Ireland and Canada. The article analyses the most important case-law regarding the constitutional problems arising from the new ages of consent. 

3. Mens rea

Criminal Law ◽  
2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Allen ◽  
Ian Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Mens Rea ◽  
State Of Mind ◽  
Mental Element ◽  
The Law ◽  
Definition Of

Course-focused and comprehensive, the Textbook on series provides an accessible overview of the key areas on the law curriculum. Mens rea refers to the mental element necessary for a particular crime. This may differ from one crime to another and the definition of each crime must be examined to determine what state of mind is required. This chapter discusses the meaning of intention, knowledge, recklessness, wilfulness, and mistake.

scholarly journals When is a Code a Code?

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Hemming
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Criminal Law ◽  
Common Law ◽  
Criminal Code ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Level Of Detail ◽  
Secondary Material ◽  
Four Corners ◽  
The Common ◽  
Definition Of

<p>This paper will develop the proposition that criminal codes in Australia are misnamed because they fail the fundamental test for a code of comprehensively stating the criminal law in one statute. This contention applies to all codes from the Griffith Codes of Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory to the more recently minted Criminal Code 1995 (Cth). The reason for such failure is that all the codes are too sparsely written, and, due to inadequate definitional detail or statement of the appropriate tests to be applied, judges are required to have recourse to the common law to ‘fill in the blanks’ left by the code. It is here argued that a code needs to be structured with the objective of keeping statutory interpretation within the four corners of the code. Bland injunctions that recourse to the common law is permissible only when the meaning is uncertain or where a prior technical meaning existed are wholly inadequate.<br />The paper sets out a series of examples which cover both offences and defences (such as causation and provocation) and which are intended to demonstrate the appropriate level of detail required to meet the conventional definition of a true code without sacrificing clarity. These examples should be viewed as templates for use in a variety of contexts, supporting the proposition that clarity, not confusion, can result from more detailed drafting. Drafting of this kind, which is directed at incorporating the relevant tests that the legislature accepts as appropriate, reduces reliance on secondary material such as second reading speeches. Secondly, it firmly tilts the legislature-judiciary ‘partnership’ in favour of the legislature (as a true code should) leaving the judiciary to explain the tests to the jury rather than to select which tests are appropriate. In this way at least consistency within a code, rather than uniformity across codes, can be promoted.</p>

scholarly journals Les aléas de la fraude en droit criminel

2005 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 813-851
Author(s):  
Pierre Rainville
Keyword(s):  
Supreme Court ◽  
Supreme Court Decision ◽  
Criminal Code ◽  
Court Decision ◽  
Mens Rea ◽  
Criminal Offence ◽  
Territorial Jurisdiction ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Impact

Even though section 338 Cr.C. appears in Part VIII of the Criminal Code entitled « Fraudulent transactions relating to Contracts and Trade », the criminal offence of fraud is of a much broader scope. The liberal interpretation received from the courts has transformed this crime into one of the widest and sometimes most unpredictable offences. The author first discusses Canada's territorial jurisdiction over international fraud in the light of the recent Libman case. He then proceeds to examine the impact of the Supreme Court decision in Vezina v. R. on the « deprivation » requirement in the definition of fraud. This text also concentrates on the objective-subjective mens rea dilemna and on a comparison of the constitutive elements of fraud, theft and false pretences. The author finally concludes that sections 320 and 338 Cr.C call out for immediate reform.

24. Intoxication

2020 ◽  
pp. 734-769
Author(s):  
David Ormerod ◽  
Karl Laird
Keyword(s):  
Mens Rea ◽  
State Of Mind ◽  
Mental Element ◽  
The Law ◽  
Definition Of

This chapter discusses the law on offences involving intoxication. It distinguishes between voluntary and involuntary intoxication, and between ‘specific’ and ‘basic’ intent. Cases are presented to show that state of mind is both a necessary element in the definition of an offence as well as in some defences. Just as intoxication may cause a person to lack the mens rea of an offence so it may cause him to have the necessary mental element of a defence.

scholarly journals On Improving Criminal Law Norms That Establish Liability for the Pollution of Marine Environment (Art. 252 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation)

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 489-497
Author(s):  
Viktor Gladkikh ◽  
Alla Konovalova ◽  
Ilya Mosechkin ◽  
Elena Redikultseva
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Russian Federation ◽  
Marine Pollution ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Criminal Code ◽  
Mens Rea ◽  
Green Criminology ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
Definition Of

The article is devoted to the problems of criminal-legal counteraction to marine pollution. The authors note (on the basis of modern statistical data) that Article 252 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation that establishes liability for the pollution of the marine environment is used very rarely, which is due, inter alia, to its design flaws. The methodological basis for the study was traditionally the dialectical method, while the collection and processing of scientifically significant results were carried out with the help of formal-legal, comparative-legal and statistical methods. The material of the study was the regulatory legal acts regulating liability for pollution of the marine environment, as well as materials of judicial practice, including foreign jurisprudence. The authors investigated modern positions on the definition of the nature of the object of encroachment for the pollution of the marine environment. The article also contains an analysis of the concept of «pollution», on the basis of which the authors came to the conclusion that it is not advisable to supplement this definition with such language constructs as «contamination of the marine environment» or «introduction of organisms into the marine environment», although this is suggested by some scholars. The authors give an assessment of the dependence of the public danger of an act on the form of mens rea, which raises the question of the need for detailed instructions regarding the form of mens rea in Art. 252 of the Criminal Code of Russian Federation. Qualification problems of the marine environment pollution with aggravating circumstances, related to determining the criteria for causing harm to human health, have been identified. The solution to these problems proposed by the authors is based on a rethinking of the role of the environment and its impact on human health by «green criminology». The result of the work is the definition of the object of encroachment on the marine environment that takes into account the economic value of the environment. In order to overcome these problems, the authors propose a new version of Art. 252 of the Criminal Code, specifically, provisions for the differentiation of responsibility depending on the form of guilt and expansion of the list of socially dangerous consequences, the onset of which is necessary for the imputation of a qualified crime.

scholarly journals Organized Crime under Anglo-Saxon Criminal Law: Features of Legislative Regulation

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-160
Author(s):  
S. S. Zhukova
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Law ◽  
Organized Crime ◽  
Common Law ◽  
Criminal Group ◽  
Criminal Code ◽  
Legal Analysis ◽  
Anglo Saxon ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Legislative Regulation ◽  
Definition Of

The paper is devoted to the comparative legal analysis of the group commission of a crime under Anglo-Saxon criminal law. The commission of a crime in conspiracy has an increased public danger and poses a serious threat to each state and society as a whole. Foreign lawmakers take different approaches to the definition of organized crime, taking into account its heterogeneous nature. The author studies the specificity of the legislative regulation of variations in criminal groupings in common law countries. A comparative analysis of the legislative regulation of organized crime allows us to note the positive experience that can be used to improve domestic criminal law governing forms of conspiracy and law enforcement.The study notes that the criminal law of the Anglo-Saxon legal family is characterized by a low level of systematization of legislation and increased attention to the norms (decisions) expressed in the judicial precedent. At the same time, the existing criminal law standards governing the institution of conspiracy comply with international law. Some common law countries recognize a conspiracy between two or more persons for committing a crime as an organized crime group. It is important to note that this feature is also a characteristic of domestic criminal law. In accordance with Art. 32 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, a conspiracy is the intentional joint participation of two or more persons in the commission of an intentional crime. At the same time, a significant difference between the criminal law of the Anglo-Saxon legal family is the legislative consolidation of the qualitative and quantitative criteria of group formations (criminal association, organized criminal group, gang) depending on the degree of public danger of their crimes.

3. Mens rea

2021 ◽  
pp. 79-125
Author(s):  
Michael J. Allen ◽  
Ian Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Law ◽  
Mens Rea ◽  
State Of Mind ◽  
Mental Element ◽  
The Law ◽  
Definition Of

Course-focused and contextual, Criminal Law provides a succinct overview of the key areas on the law curriculum balanced with thought-provoking contextual discussion. Mens rea refers to the mental element necessary for a particular crime. This may differ from one crime to another and the definition of each crime must be examined to determine what state of mind is required. This chapter discusses the meaning of intention, knowledge, recklessness, wilfulness, direct intent, oblique intent, ulterior intent, transferred malice, and mistake. These mens rea topics raise important questions about the extent to which a person is responsible and therefore deserving of blame and punishment. A revised and updated ‘The law in context’ feature examines critically the debates between those who favour subjectivist and objectivist approaches to mens rea, with particular reference to reform of the offence of unlawful act manslaughter.

scholarly journals Re-visiting the Concept of Mens Rea: Challenging the Common Approaches Employed under Islamic Jurisprudence and Statute Law

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Ahadi
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Law ◽  
Common Sense ◽  
The State ◽  
Mens Rea ◽  
Islamic Jurisprudence ◽  
State Of Mind ◽  
The Common ◽  
Definition Of

In the present paper the traditional and customary perspectives on the concept of Mens Rea are challenged and a new definition of the same is put forward. The challenge is based on the idea that the concepts in criminal law need evolution in order to keep their function and practicality. Such an evolution demands such a condition wherein, while granting the characteristics of adaptability with the contextual conditions and principles of criminal law, the maintenance of the same is ensured. The mens rea is customarily defined as ‘culpable state of mind of the accused when committing an offence under criminal law and ‘rebellion intent’ under Islamic Jurisprudence. Both definitions of the concept have the capability to undergo evolution and, thus, a new definition of the same is envisaged herein as such that the mens rea constitutes ‘the culpable linkage of mind with the forbidden conduct’. Two changes are observable in the new definition compared with the existing one: first, the ‘state of mind’ is replaced with ‘linkage of mind’; second, the interpretation of the term ‘culpable’ as an independent constituent shall differ as per the common sense and the contextual conditions. The new definition grants dynamism to the concept and resolves the problems long associated with the definition of the mens rea under the criminal law.

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