1 FACULTY OF LAW LAWS5004 CRIMINAL LAW (OFFENCES & DEFENCES) EXTENDED SUMMARIES OFFENCES DEFENCES • Assault (non-sexual) • Provocation • Sexual Assault • Self-Defence • Homicide I: Murder • Duress & Necessity • Homicide II: Negligent Manslaughter and • Mental Impairment: Mental illness (insanity) and Manslaughter by Unlawful & Dangerous Act Automatism • Intoxication and Substantial Impairment by Property offences (Larceny) • Abnormality of Mind 2 OFFENCES ASSAULT (NON-SEXUAL) (I) COMMON ASSAULT...........................................................................! 15 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 61 - Common Assault prosecuted by indictment (1) Assault by Force!.........................................................................................15 (a) Definition.........................................................................................................................! 15 (b) Actus Reus of ‘Assault by Force’!..................................................................................15 Spitting as an assault DPP v JWH (unreported, NSWSC, 17 October 1997) (c) Mens Rea of ‘Assault by Force’.....................................................................................! 16 (i) Intention!.......................................................................................................................16 (ii) Recklessness...............................................................................................................! 17 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 4A - Recklessness (2) Assault by Threat of Force........................................................................! 17 (a) Definition.........................................................................................................................! 17 (b) Actus Reus for ‘Assault by Threat of Force’!...............................................................17 (i) Positive Act!..................................................................................................................18 Positive Act Fagan v Commissioner of Metropolitan Police (1962) 1 QB 439 (ii) State of mind of the victim!......................................................................................19 (iii) Imminence/Immediacy!...........................................................................................19 Threats made over the telephone Barton v Armstrong [1969] 2 NSWR 452; NSWSC Threats of future violence (distinguished from Barton v Armstrong) Knight (1988) 35 A Crim R 314 Silent Phonecall R v Ireland; R v Burstow [1997] 4 All ER 225; House of Lords ‘Immediate and continuing fear’ Zanker v Vartzokas (1988) 34 A Crim R 11 (iv) Conditional Threats!.................................................................................................24 Looking at the words of the threat: Whether D had the right to impose the condition: Rozsa v Samuels [1969] SASR 205 (c) Mens Rea of ‘Assault by Threat of Force.....................................................................! 24 (i) Intention!.......................................................................................................................24 (ii) Recklessness...............................................................................................................! 25 Must be subjective MacPherson v Brown (1975) 12 SASR 184 (II) COMPOUND ASSAULTS!...................................................................26 (1) Assaults causing particular injuries!.......................................................26 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 59 - Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (a) Actus Reus for ‘Assaults causing particular injuries’ (s 59)!....................................26 3 (b) Mens rea for ‘Assaults causing particular injuries’!..................................................26 (2) Assaults with further specific intent!.....................................................27 (3) Assault on Particular classes of people!..................................................27 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 58 - Assault with intent to commit a serious indictable offence on certain officers Actus Reus Mens Rea Reynhoudt (1962) 107 CLR 381 Assaults on officers using offensive weapons or dangerous substances Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 60 - Assault and other actions against police officers (4) Other Assaults!............................................................................................30 (a) Assaults using offensive weapons or dangerous substances!...................................30 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 4 - Definitions Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 33B - Use or possession of weapon to resist arrest etc. (b) Causing Disease!..............................................................................................................31 Public Health Act 1991 s 11 - Precautions against spread of certain medical conditions (III) HARM OFFENCES............................................................................! 32 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 4(1) - Definitions (a) Intentional Assault (with ‘specific intent’)!................................................................32 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 33 - Wounding or grievous bodily harm with intent (b) Reckless Assault/Wounding..........................................................................................! 33 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 35 - Reckless grievous bodily harm or wounding (d) Negligence!........................................................................................................................34 Crimes Act 1900 s 54 - Causing grievous bodily harm (IV) CONSENT TO HARM!.......................................................................35 (a) General!.............................................................................................................................35 Brown [1994] 1 AC 212 (b) Consent to medical treatment!......................................................................................37 Marion’s Case (1992) 175 CLR 218 (c) The chastisement of children.........................................................................................! 38 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 61AA - Defence of lawful correction (V) DOMESTIC AND PERSONAL VIOLENCE..........................................! 39 (a) General!.............................................................................................................................39 Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 Part 1, s 5 - Meaning of ‘domestic relationship’ Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 Part 3, s 11 - Meaning of ‘domestic violence offence’ (b) Stalking and Intimidation!............................................................................................40 Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 Part 1, s 7 - Meaning of ‘intimidation’; Part 1, s 8 - Meaning of ‘Stalking’ Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 Part 3, s 13 - Stalking or intimidation with intent to cause fear of physical or mental harm (c) Apprehended Violence Orders!.......................................................................................41 Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 Part 3, s 14 - Offence of contravening apprehended violence order Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 Part 4, s 16 - Court may make apprehended domestic violence order; Part 5, s 19 - Court may make apprehended personal violence order (VI) OFFENCES RELATING TO PUBLIC ORDER!.....................................43 4 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 93A - Definition; s 93B - Riot; s 93C - Affray; s 93D - Mental Element Under sections 93B and 93C SEXUAL ASSAULT (I) CONTEXTUAL CONSIDERATIONS!.....................................................44 (a) General!.............................................................................................................................44 The need to address problems associated with investigation and trial process!.44 (b) Law Reform!.....................................................................................................................45 Further amendments!.......................................................................................................46 (II) THE CURRENT OFFENCES/PRIMARY STATUTORY PROVISIONS....! 47 (A) Primary Offences!......................................................................................47 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 61I - Sexual assault Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 61K - Assault with intent to have sexual intercourse Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 61M - Aggravated indecent assault Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 61O - Aggravated act of indecency (B) Aggravated Sexual Assault!......................................................................49 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 61J - Aggravated sexual assault Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 61JA - Aggravated sexual assault in company ‘Offensive weapon or instrument (s 61J)(2)(b))’!........................................................50 Sexual assault ‘in company’...........................................................................................! 50 (C) Abolition of the Common Law Immunities!........................................51 Common law immunity for minors Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 61S - Offenders who are minors Marital Immunity Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 61T - Offender married to victim ACTUS REUS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT!.......................................................52 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 61I - Sexual assault (a) Sexual Intercourse...........................................................................................................! 52 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW)