Samenvatting
Summary Substantive Criminal Law Week 4
- Instelling
- Maastricht University (UM)
Summary for Substantive Criminal Law, period 4 of ELS at Maastricht University. Week 4.
[Meer zien]Voorbeeld 1 van de 6 pagina's
Voorbeeld 1 van de 6 pagina's
In winkelwagengesponsord bericht van onze partner
Gekoppeld boek
Titel boek:
Auteur(s):
- Uitgave:
- ISBN:
- Druk:
1 beoordeling
Door: tanjapustjens • 6 jaar geleden
Voorbeeld van de inhoud
Substantive Criminal LawWeek 4:
Chapter 7: Justifications and Excuses
Criminal law provides certain circumstances (defences) that take away the criminal liability of
the perpetrator. We distinguish between justifications and excuses.
The dichotomy makes a fundamental distinction between wrongfulness and
blameworthiness, between act and actor, between an objective evaluation of all things
considered and subjective reasons for acting.
There is a wide range of justifications and excuses than can be put forward by the defendant.
Here, the justifications discussed are self-defence and necessity, and the excuses of self-
defence excess and duress, and the excuse of insanity.
Rationale of the dichotomy:
Communicative difference:
A justification negates the wrongfulness of the act, while an excuse negates the
blameworthiness of the actor. A distinction can be made between acquitting a defendant who
did not commit the crime at all, and acquitting a defendant who committed the crime but was
justified in doing so, e.g. due to self-defence.
Wrongfulness constitutes the law’s socio-ethical condemnation of the act, whereas
blameworthiness constitutes a social-ethical reprimand against the actor.
Example: the communicative advantage of the dichotomy becomes more clear when we look
at R v Dudley and Stephens where the excuse of duress was rejected because the court
feared the public would misunderstand their acquittal as a justification of their actions.
Personal and universal application:
Justifications are believed to have a universal character, whereas excuses operate only
personally. This means that if someone is justified, a 3rd party may assist that person,
whereas if that someone is merely excused, a 3rd party may not intervene.
The universal application of justifications is often based on the perspective that justified
conduct is said to produce a net social benefit and therefore constitutes no wrong.
Participation is only possible in a wrongful act, so a justification applies to all participants.
Self-defence:
- Defending oneself can be seen as a natural right (dominant until 19th century).
- In Anglo-American law a classic and very common rationale concentrates on the
culpability of the aggressor.
- Self-defence is only allowed when necessary and proportional.
- Art. 41 DCC and §32 GCC on self-defence.
- In order for self-defence to justify a criminal offence, the attack must be wrongful,
imminent and infringe an individual interest. The individual is only allowed to use the
least intrusive means of defence (subsidiarity requirement) and the defendant must
act in line with the requirements of proportionality.
- The choice of defensive means is often closely connected with the subsequent
question of proportionality of how one could use these least intrusive means.
- English law: Section 76 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 on self-
defence.
- Only a wrongful attack can give rise to self-defence. Attacks of an animal only qualify
under self-defence if a human has incited it.
- Self-defence if a fight of right against wrong, the attack must be wrongful or unlawful.
It only applies against attacks that are imminent, have begun or are ongoing.
- The right to self-defence ends with the end of the attack. The attack is ongoing until
the aggression has been factually completed either by abandoning the attempt, by its
Voordelen van het kopen van samenvattingen bij Stuvia op een rij:
Verzekerd van kwaliteit door reviews
Stuvia-klanten hebben meer dan 700.000 samenvattingen beoordeeld. Zo weet je zeker dat je de beste documenten koopt!
Snel en makkelijk kopen
Je betaalt supersnel en eenmalig met iDeal, creditcard of Stuvia-tegoed voor de samenvatting. Zonder lidmaatschap.
Focus op de essentie
Samenvattingen worden geschreven voor en door anderen. Daarom zijn de samenvattingen altijd betrouwbaar en actueel. Zo kom je snel tot de kern!
Veelgestelde vragen
Wat krijg ik als ik dit document koop?
Je krijgt een PDF, die direct beschikbaar is na je aankoop. Het gekochte document is altijd, overal en oneindig toegankelijk via je profiel.
Tevredenheidsgarantie: hoe werkt dat?
Onze tevredenheidsgarantie zorgt ervoor dat je altijd een studiedocument vindt dat goed bij je past. Je vult een formulier in en onze klantenservice regelt de rest.
Van wie koop ik deze samenvatting?
Stuvia is een marktplaats, je koop dit document dus niet van ons, maar van verkoper michellescheffers. Stuvia faciliteert de betaling aan de verkoper.
Zit ik meteen vast aan een abonnement?
Nee, je koopt alleen deze samenvatting voor €2,99. Je zit daarna nergens aan vast.
Is Stuvia te vertrouwen?
4,6 sterren op Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
Afgelopen 30 dagen zijn er 67474 samenvattingen verkocht
Opgericht in 2010, al 14 jaar dé plek om samenvattingen te kopen