Criminal Law (UK)

Question 1 Discuss the development of indirect intention in English criminal law Development of Intention in English Criminal Law Introduction For a very long time now, the courts have contended with the term intention in criminal law. The statute has not yet come up with a concrete definition for the term. The word is not to be confused with motive since a person may have a good reason to commit a crime, but intention means that he wanted to do precisely that. The English law recognizes two different types of intentions when dealing with criminal offenses. These are either direct and indirect. Direct intention means that a person desires or aims to commit an action to get a particular result. On the other hand, indirect intent is a virtual consequence of a direct intention that a person foresaw its occurrence even though it was not the primary purpose of his/her actions. This essay discusses the development of indirect intention in English law.