Criminal Law Academic Support Programme 2017 - 2018 Term 1

w/b August 21 and w/b October 9^th

Blackstone School of Law:

Face-to-face classes, including Self Organized Learning Environment (SOLE) and Reflection sessions

Sample Daily Schedule

Monday to Thursday

London Law Lectures (or name of the new company) :

Action: Students will listen to the recoding provided by London Law Lectures “ Introduction to Criminal Law (length of recording: 31 minutes)” and will prepare written answers to the questions provided in the worksheet.

When: Upon completion of SOLE sessions on the following areas: the criminal courts, the burden of proof, and the elements of offences: actus reus and mens rea.

Action: Students will listen to the recoding provided by London Law Lectures “ Recording: Homicide (length of recording: 2 hours 40 minutes) and will prepare written answers to the questions provided in the worksheet.

When: Upon completion of SOLE sessions on the following areas : Introduction to homicide; Common elements of murder and manslaughter; Killing a foetus; Introduction to causation; Legal causation - general principles; Legal causation - escape cases; Legal causation - a reasonable act in self-defence; Legal causation - medical treatment; Legal causation - take your victim; Answering examination questions – causation; Murder - the mens rea; Involuntary manslaughter – introduction; Manslaughter by an unlawful act (constructive manslaughter); Manslaughter by gross negligence; Manslaughter by gross negligence - a circular test?; Reckless manslaughter.

Students will listen to the recoding provided by London Law Lectures “ Recording: Homicide (length of recording: 2 hours 40 minutes)

and will prepare written answers to the questions provided in the worksheet.

Questions will be discussed at the seminar with London Law Lectures and you will be expected to answer one or more questions and join in the discussion of others. So it is very important you are well prepared.

October 15 ^th / 16 ^th

London Law Lectures – Face-to-face Sessions in Lahore

We will consider the following topics which form the first part of the course.

Prepare answers to the questions provided in the worksheet attached.

1. Introduction to Criminal Law
2. Actus reus
3. Mens rea
4. Unlawful homicide: murder and involuntary manslaughter.

5. Unlawful homicide: murder and voluntary manslaughter – loss of control
Before the weekend please listen to the following recordings available online.

w/b October 17^th and w/b October 24^th

Consolidation

Blackstone School of Law:

SOLE and Reflection Sessions on more complex questions related to the following chapters of the subject guide:

Chapter 2: the building blocks of criminal liability.

Chapter 3: actus reus conduct and circumstances.

Chapter 4: actus reus consequences.

Chapter 5: mens rea criminal fault.

Chapter 6: coincidence of actus reus and mens rea.

Chapter 7 (NOT 7.3): criminal homicide

You should use these two weeks to consolidate your knowledge of the matters dealt with at the sessions with London Law Lectures and prepare for the assignment which is a question on murder and involuntary manslaughter and must be submitted by October 26^th.

Note again the ingredients of murder and the various forms of involuntary manslaughter. And consider carefully the sample examination question and the advice which follows it. Note the structure of the answer and adopt it when answering the first assignment question (see below)

Wed October 26^th

Assignment 1:

(a) Josie did not like Geri. She wanted to frighten her into leaving the neighbourhood and so one night she lit some petrol soaked rags and pushed them through Geri's letter box. Fire quickly spread. Geri who had been asleep in bed woke up. Geri opened the bedroom window and jumped out. She hit her head on the ground and died immediately.

(b) Susie handed a syringe containing heroin to her friend Arnie who injected himself. Arnie died immediately from the effects of the heroin.

(b) Michael bought heroin from a local dealer and gave it to Alex who injected himself with it. He became ill, showing signs of having overdosed. Michael kept any eye on Alex but decided not to get medical treatment. Alex subsequently died.

• Explain the criminal liability of Josie, Susie and Michael for offences of homicide.

w/b October 31st

Blackstone School of Law:

SOLE and Reflection sessions on the following topic:

Voluntary manslaughter- the defence of loss of control

London Law Lectures:

Recording: Loss of control (length of recording: 47 minutes)

Reading: Subject Guide Chapter 7.3.1 – 7.3.8

The partial defence of ‘loss of control’ defined in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 replaced the partial defence of provocation. It applies only to murder and, if successfully pleaded, reduces liability to manslaughter.

w/b November 7^th

Blackstone School of Law:

SOLE and Reflection sessions on the following topic:

Voluntary manslaughter- the defence of diminished responsibility

Reading: Subject Guide Chapter 7.3.9 – 7.3.14

Diminished responsibility, like loss of control, applies only to murder and, if successfully pleaded, reduces liability to manslaughter. The defence, which was created in 1957 was substantially amended by s52 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.

w/b November 14^th

Blackstone School of Law:

SOLE and Reflection sessions on the following topic:

Non-fatal offences against the person: assault and battery

London Law Lectures:

Recording: Non-fatal offences against the person part 1 slides 1 – 16.

Reading: Subject Guide Chapter 9.2

Although assault and battery are not serious offences in themselves they are important as 'gateway' crimes. That is, a number of more serious offences require proof of an assault or battery. And often liability for manslaughter by an unlawful act ('constructive manslaughter') will be based upon an assault or battery which has resulted in death. So it is important that you know the ingredients of assault and battery. As their definitions are not contained in statutes you must learn them by heart.

Wed November 16^th

Online session with London Law Lectures to discuss assignment 1: Criminal Law 6pm UK time. Students will come online from Blackstone Law’s campus. Blackstone Law team will be on the ground facilitating the session in case of any technical difficulty.

w/b November 21st

Blackstone School of Law:

SOLE and Reflection sessions on the following topic:

Non-fatal offences against the person: offences involving wounding and bodily harm

London Law Lectures

Listening: Non-fatal offences against the person part 2 slides 17 – end

Reading: Subject Guide Chapter 9.1

This section of the course covers the important offences contrary to s47, s20 and s18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. As you can take statutes into the examination you do not need to learn the definitions of these offences by heart but you must know them in detail.

w/b November 28^th

Blackstone School of Law:

Sessions for consolidation and revision

Use this week to consolidate your knowledge and prepare for the second assignment.

Wed November 30^th

Assignment 2

Duncan detested Victor. One night, when he saw Victor on a bridge Duncan approached him from behind and pushed him into the river below. Duncan knew that Victor could not swim. Some minutes later Stephen, a passerby, noticed that Victor was drowning. He called the emergency services who rescued him. Victor was taken by ambulance to hospital. He had suffered brain damage as a result of lack of oxygen and was put on a life support machine. After a few days, the doctors switched off the life support machine and Victor died.

Consider Duncan's criminal liability.

Word limit: 1200 words.

If you exceed the word limit you will receive comments but you will not receive a percentage mark!

w/b December 5^th

Blackstone School of Law:

SOLE and Reflection sessions on the following topic:

Liability for omissions

The conduct element of the actus reus usually requires proof of a positive act on the part of the defendant and there is no general liability for failure to act under the common law of England and Wales. A stranger, for example, would not incur criminal liability for watching somebody drown in a swimming pool even if that person could have been saved with very little effort on the stranger’s part.

The stranger would, however, incur criminal liability if he or she carried out a positive act, such as holding the other’s head under the water, which caused or contributed to the death. Either way, the victim has died, but in the situation where the stranger merely watched the victim drown without doing anything, the victim would have died in any event, whether or not the stranger had been there.

Reading: Subject Guide Chapter 3.1.4

w/b December 12^th

Blackstone School of Law:

Sessions for consolidation and revision

Use this week to consolidate your knowledge and prepare for the third assignment.

Sunday December 18^th

London Law Lectures

Online tutorial to discuss assignment 2: Criminal Law

Students will come online from Blackstone Law’s campus. Blackstone Law team will be on the ground facilitating the session in case of any technical difficulty.

Wed January 18th

Assignment 3:

Iago lied to Othello, telling him that Othello’s wife, Desdemona, was having a passionate affair with Othello’s friend, Cassio.

Othello confronts Desdemona and challenges her about Iago’s remark. She refuses to deny that is having an affair and angrily telling Othello that she would have an affair with Cassio if she had the chance as Othello is a ‘loser’, no good in bed and physically repulsive.

Furious, Othello picks up a poker and aims a blow at Desdemona. In attempting to avoid the blow, Desdemona slips over and hits her head on the fireplace, rendering her unconscious. Othello storms out of the room. When he returns hours later Desdemona is dead, having suffered heart failure.

Discuss the criminal liability of Othello.

How would Othello’s liability differ if Desdemona had suffered serious injuries but not died from his attack.

Word limit: 1200 words.

If you exceed the word limit you will receive comments but you will not receive a percentage mark!