Chapter 7 Key facts checklists

Chapter 7 Key facts checklists

  • The most serious crime in English law is murder.
  • 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 are three partial defences to murder; diminished responsibility under the Homicide Act 1957 as amended, loss of control under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, and suicide pact. We will consider the first two.
  • These are partial defences because they result in a conviction for manslaughter rather than a full acquittal.
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