Non-fatal Offences Against the Person

These flashcards cover key concepts related to non-fatal offences against the person, focusing on definitions, legal principles, and distinctions between different types of assault.

Non-fatal offences

Crimes against the person that do not result in death, divided into crimes of violence and crimes against autonomy.

Crimes of violence

Crimes that cause physical harm to another without requiring the victim's consent.

Crimes against autonomy

Offences that involve undesired interference with a person's freedom of action or decision-making.

Common assault

Includes two offences: assault (threat of force) and battery (application of force), both are forms of non-fatal offences.

Assault

An act that leads someone to apprehend immediate unlawful force without any physical contact.

Battery

An act that involves the unlawful application of force upon another person.

Actus reus

The physical act or conduct that constitutes a criminal offence.

Mens rea

The mental state or intention of the perpetrator required to establish liability for a criminal offence.

Unlawful force

Force or threat of force that is not justified by self-defense or consent.

Immediacy

The requirement that the threat in an assault must be in such circumstances that the victim could expect immediate harm.

Common law

Law derived from judicial decisions and precedents rather than statutes.

Statutory offences

Crimes defined and prohibited by legislation.

Consent

Agreement by the victim permitting specific actions, which can negate criminal liability in certain cases.

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm

A more serious offence involving assault that results in actual injury.

Protection from Harassment Act 1997

A law to protect individuals from harassment and associated antisocial behavior.

Textbook of Criminal Law

A referenced text by Glanville Williams, outlining principles of criminal law.

Charging standards

Guidelines provided by the Crown Prosecution Service for determining appropriate charges in criminal cases.