Homicide
Homicide 1 (Murder and Voluntary Manslaughter)
Murder
o The general definition: a common law crime defined as unlawful killing with malice
aforethought. Sir Edward Coke (Institutes of the Laws of England, 1797).
o Actus reus: unlawfully causing the death of a person
o Mens rea:
Direct intention to kill (aim or purpose is to cause death). R v Vickers [1957]
Direct intention to cause GBH (aim or purpose is to cause GBH). R v Cunningham
[1982]
Oblique intention to kill or cause GBH. Your aim or purpose is x and you also know
that y is virtually certain to happen and y is virtually certain to happen in actual fact.
For the purposes of the criminal law, y is also intended. R v Woollin [1999].
Homicide 1 (Murder and Voluntary Manslaughter)
Murder
o The general definition: a common law crime defined as unlawful killing with malice
aforethought. Sir Edward Coke (Institutes of the Laws of England, 1797).
o Actus reus: unlawfully causing the death of a person
o Mens rea:
Direct intention to kill (aim or purpose is to cause death). R v Vickers [1957]
Direct intention to cause GBH (aim or purpose is to cause GBH). R v Cunningham
[1982]
Oblique intention to kill or cause GBH. Your aim or purpose is x and you also know
that y is virtually certain to happen and y is virtually certain to happen in actual fact.
For the purposes of the criminal law, y is also intended. R v Woollin [1999].
