The concept of Mens Rea within the scope of english criminal law and with the proper and relevant case law.
Color coding:
Orange: title / subtitles
Pink: very important
Yellow: legislation (includes case law and acts of Parliament)
Green: important
Negligence D’s failure to act according to the standard of the reasonable person
Recklessness The unreasonable taking of a risk by D
DIFFERENT TYPES OF MENS REA
INTENTION
MOHAN (1976) DEFINITION OF INTENTION
´Aim`, ´a decision to bring about a certain consequence, even if that consequence is unlikely`
CHRISTOFIDES (2001) D took a piece of wood and started hitting another persona, several times on the
head. Held that there was no reason to have a definition for intention when the facts are so obvious.
MOLONEY (1985), LORD BRIDGE Intention is something different from motive or desire, meaning that
the law is not concerned with the reason of why D acted. However, motive may be important to prove the
existence of intention,
Oblique intent. Cases where D acts in order to bring one particular consequence, but it is highly likely that
another will occur. In such cases:
WOLLIN (1999)
1) Was death or serious injury virtually certain to result from D’s actions?
2) Did D appreciate that death or serious injury was virtually certain to result from their actions?
If the answer to both questions is YES, the jury is entitled to find intention.
There are four points that should be stressed from the current law:
1) If it is not D’s intention to kill or cause GBH, and these two offences were not considered by D, the
jury is not permitted to find intention.
2) To satisfy the ´Woollin` test, it must be shown that death of GBH was virtually certain, but if in fact
they were not, the jury is not entitled to find intention.
3) Foresight of virtual certainty is not intent, but it is evidence from which the jury may fin intent.
4) The direction approved in WOOLLIN states that the jury may find intention, but not that they have to.
RECKLESSNESS
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