Criminal(Law(1(Summary(2015((
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(
TABLE(OF(CONTENTS(
!
1. Onus!and!standard!of!proof!
2. Offences!
a. S245!and!s339:!Assault!
b. S302:!Homicide!
i. S302(1)(a):!Intentional!Murder!
ii. S302(1)(b):!Felony!Murder!
c. S303:!Manslaughter!
d. S316A:!Unlawful!Drink!Spiking!
e. S317:!Acts!Intended!To!Cause!Grievous!Bodily!Harm!
f. S320:!Grievous!Bodily!Harm!
g. S320A:!Torture!
h. S323:!Wounding!
i. SS347,!348,!349!and!352:!Sexual!Violence!
j. Drug!Offences:!Drugs!Misuse!Act!
3. Attempts,!Conspiracies!and!Parties!
a. Attempts!
b. Conspiracies!
c. S7:!Parties!
d. S8:!Common!Purpose!
e. Withdrawal!
f. S10:!Accessory!after!the!fact!
4. Defences!
a. S22:!Mistake!of!Law!
b. S23:!Intention!
c. S24:!Mistake!of!Fact!
d. S25:!Emergencies!
e. S27:!Insanity!
f. S28:!Intoxication!
g. S29:!Immature!Age!
h. S31:!Compulsion!
i. SS268[269,!304:!Provocation!
j. SS271,!272,!273:!Self[Defence!!
k. S282:!Medical!Necessity!
l. S282A:!Palliative!Care!
m. S304A:!Diminished!Responsibility!
!
!
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Main!Legislation:!The$Criminal$Code$Act$1899(Qld)!
• Criminal!law!is!a!matter!of!jurisdiction!for!the!States!and!Territories!
rather!than!the!Commonwealth!
!
!
!
1!
ONUS(AND(STANDARD(OF(PROOF(
!
The!Burden!of!Proof!
• 3!fundamental!principles!that!govern!a!trial!of!a!person!
o The!presumption!of!innocence:!imposes!on!the!prosecution!the!
burden!of!proving!the!charge!and!guarantees!that!no!guilt!can!be!
presumed!until!the!charge!has!been!proved!beyond!reasonable!
doubt.!
o The!burden!of!proof:!burden!of!proving!the!presumption!of!
innocence!is!on!the!prosecution!
o The!standard!of!proof:!for!a!criminal!defendant!to!be!convicted!of!a!
crime,!the!prosecutor!must!prove!her!case!to!the!point!that!the!
jurors!have!no!reasonable!doubts!in!their!minds!that!the!defendant!
did!whatever!he!is!charged!with!having!done.!
!
Who!bears!the!persuasive!onus?!
• Burden!of!proof!is!proof!beyond!reasonable!doubt!
• Default!position!is!that!it!is!always!on!prosecution,!even!where!matters!of!
exculpation!are!involved.!!
• The!exceptions!to!this!are!the!strict!defences,!such!as!insanity,!
provocation!in!murder,!diminished!responsibility!in!murder!and!other!
miscellaneous!matters!where!the!onus!is!cast!on!the!defence,!eg!ss17,!
s228E!of!the!Code.!
!
From!Woolmington,!per!Viscount!Sankey!LC!
• Throughout!the!web!of!the!English!Criminal!Law!one!golden(thread!is!
always!to!be!seen,!that!it!is!the!duty!of!the!prosecution!to!prove!the!
prisoner's!guilt!subject!to!what!I!have!already!said!as!to!the!defence!of!
insanity!and!subject!also!to!any!statutory!exception.!If,!at!the!end!of!and!
on!the!whole!of!the!case,!there!is!a!reasonable!doubt,!created!by!the!
evidence!given!by!either!the!prosecution!or!the!prisoner,!as!to!whether!
the!prisoner!killed!the!deceased!with!a!malicious!intention,!the!
prosecution!has!not!made!out!the!case!and!the!prisoner!is!entitled!to!an!
acquittal.!No!matter!what!the!charge!or!where!the!trial,!the!principle!that!
the!prosecution!must!prove!the!guilt!of!the!prisoner!is!part!of!the!
common!law!of!England!and!no!attempt!to!whittle!it!down!can!be!
entertained.!
!
Evidentiary!onus!
• On!the!defence!to!put!the!issue!into!contention!
• Evidentiary!burden:!adducing!or!pointing!to!evidence!that!suggests!a!
reasonable!possibility!that!the!matters!exists!
!
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2!
OFFENCES(
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Assault:(s245,(s339(
!
Definition(of(assault((
• A!person!who!strikes,(touches,(or(moves,!or!otherwise!applies!force!of!
any!kind!to,!the!person!of!another,!either!directly!or!indirectly,!without!
the!other!person’s!consent,!or!with!the!other!person’s!consent!if!the!
consent!is!obtained!by!fraud,!or(((at(CL(battery)!
• who!by!any(bodily(act(or(gesture!attempts!or!threatens!to!apply!force!
of!any!kind!to!the!person!of!another!without!the!other!person’s!consent,!
under!such!circumstances!that!the!person!making!the!attempt!or!threat!
has!actually!or!apparently!a!present(ability(to(effect(the!person’s!
purpose,!is!said!to!assault!that!other!person,!and!the!act!is!called!an!
assault.((at(CL(assault)!
o unlawful!unless!authorised,!justified!or!excused!!
o things!that!may!be!valid!
o law!enforcement!
o provocation!
o self!defence!!
• In!this!section—!
o applies)force)includes!the!case!of!applying!heat,!light,!electrical!
force,!gas,!odour,!or!any!other!substance!or!thing!whatever!if!
applied!in!such!a!degree!as!to!cause!injury!or!personal!discomfort.!
!
Elements(of(assault(
• The!prosecution!must!prove!BRD!that:!!
• The!defendant!assaulted!the!complainant;!
o Any!person!who!strikes,!touches!or!moves!or!otherwise!applies!
force!of!any!kind!to!the!person!of!another,!either!directly!or!
indirectly,!without!that!person’s!consent!is!said!to!assault!that!
other!person;!S245!
• The!assault!was!unlawful,!that!is!not!authorized,!justified!or!excused!by!
law.!Sec!246!
!
1st(Limb(of(Assault(S245((CL(Battery)(
• No!reference!to!a!mental!element!
• Application!of!force!
o Fagan$v$Metropolitan$Police$Commissioner![1969]!1!QB!439!!
! Fagan!convicted!of!assault!
! drove!motor!vehicle!on!policeman’s!foot!
! unclear!whether!intentional[!but!deliberately!delayed!to!
move!his!car!of!the!policeman’s!foot!
• Direct!or!indirect!
o Croft$v$Blair$QCCA!14!Dec!1989!(unreported)!
! Dog$used$as$a$weapon$may$be$indirect$application$of$force!
• S280!
!
3!
o It!is!lawful!for!a!parent!or!school!master!to!use!discipline!towards!
a!child[!such!force!as!is!reasonable!under!the!circumstances!!
o In!one!case!the!principal!touched!the!children!on!the!bum!in!
encouragement!–!this!was!justified!and!excused!by!law[!implied!
tacitly!that!children!consented!to!this!!
!
Without!effective!consent!
• …without!the!other!person’s!consent,!or!with!the!other!person’s!consent!if!
the!consent!is!obtained!by!fraud…!
• R$v$Raabe![1985]!1!Qd!R!115!
o Derrington!drew!a!distinction!between!harm!and!the!level!of!harm!
given[!however,!the!true!question!was!“whether!the!degree!of!
violence!exceeded!that!to!which!it!was!consented!to.”!
• A!mistake!belief!in!consent!can!provide!a!defence,!but!only!if!the!mistake!
was!objectively!a!reasonable!one.!
!
Horan!v!Ferguson![1995]!2!Qd!R!490!
• In!many!circumstances!associated!with!leaving!touching!would!not!be!
inappropriate[!inferred!consent!
• What!amount!of!consent!can!be!inferred!!
• It!may!be!unlawful!even!with!the!consent!of!the!other!person!:!246(2)!
!
R$v$Brown$[1994]$1$AC$212$$
• Facts!
o Police!discovered!a!number!of!video!tapes,!which!were!recordings!
of!a!group!of!homosexual!men!
o There!was!whipping,!branding!and!infliction!of!wounds!to!the!
genitals[!dripping!of!hot!wax!into!the!urethra,!and!nailing!a!penis!
to!a!bench!
o The!men!involved!were!charged!with!many!things!including!
assault!occasioning!bodily!harm!
o Said!they!did!not!commit!assault!because!everything!was!
consented!to!
• Held!
o The!court!said!it!is!not!in!the!public!interest!that!they!should!cause!
each!other!harm!for!no!good!reason[!nor!can!the!injuries!be!
described!as!merely!transient!!
o The!pleasure!derived!from!the!infliction!of!pain!is!an!evil!thing!!
!
S348!Meaning!of!consent!
• In!this!chapter,!consent!means!consent!freely!and!voluntarily!given!by!a!
person!with!the!cognitive!capacity!to!give!the!consent.!
• Without!limiting!subsection!(1),!a!person’s!consent!to!an!act!is!not!freely!
and!voluntarily!given!if!it!is!obtained—!
o by!force;!or!
o by!threat!or!intimidation;!or!
o by!fear!of!bodily!harm;!or!
o by!exercise!of!authority;!or!
!
4!
o by!false!and!fraudulent!representations!about!the!nature!or!
purpose!of!the!act;!or!
o by!a!mistaken!belief!induced!by!the!accused!person!that!the!
accused!person!was!the!person’s!sexual!partner.!
!
2nd(Limb(of(Assault(s245((CL(Assault)(
!
Attempting!or!Threatening!
• Relates!to!threats!to!apply!force!
• S4!incorporates!intention!
• Intention!in!terms!of!attempt!but!it!is!questionable!whether!this!applies!to!
threats!
• By!bodily!act!or!gesture!
!
With!actual!or!apparent!present!ability!to!effect!purpose!
$
Secretary$v$R$(1996)$5$NTLR$96!
• Facts!
o Self!defence!against!appellant!(discussed!further!in!self!–!defence!
under!defences!s271)!
o He!had!an!intention!to!create!an!apprehension!
o Abuse!intensified[!she!had!gone!to!a!shelter[!got!a!restraining!
order!
o Assaulted!her,!her!sister!and!her!sister’s!child[!the!police!came!and!
did!nothing!
o The!accused!believed!that!the!accused!final!words!were!a!threat!
• Held:!Assault!continues!if!the!threat!remains!!
• the requirement for actual or apparent present ability to affect a threat does not
mean that the victim must apprehend immediate person violence. The treat
may be of future violence.
• !
!
Hall!v!Foneca!(WA)!
• Facts!
o Members!of!a!hockey!club!–!discussed!finances!of!the!club!
o Respondent!got!up!shook!his!finger!when!the!appellant!turned!
around!poked!him!in!the!shoulder.!The!appellant!then!pushed!the!
respondent!and!raised!his!hand[!the!respondent!thinking!that!he!
was!going!to!hit!him[!hit!the!appellant!and!he!fell!down!and!hit!his!
head!–!suffered!a!haemorrhage!
o It!was!argued!because!the!appellant!did!not!possess!intent!!
• Held!
o However,!assault!does!not!express!anything!of!intention!but!there!
must!be!intention!to!apply!force!or!create!an!apprehension!
o It!was!sufficient!to!be!an!assault!if!there!was!an!intention!to!cause!
an!apprehension!therefore,!appeal!was!dismissed!!
!
Can!words!constitute!a!threat?!
!
5!
[
[
[
Fogden$v$Wade:$Mere!words!cannot!constitute!assault!there!needs!to!be!a!
bodily!act!or!gesture!or!something!that!shows!an!intention[!threatening!
words!can!give!the!bodily!movements!a!threat!or!threatening!gesture!
Words!are!insufficient!on!their!own!–!has!to!be!an!act!that!creates!an!
apprehension!
But!there!is!a!threatening!violence!under!s75!
o Its!provisions!are!that!any!person!who!intimidates!to!enter!a!
premises!or!….!If!a!person!fears!bodily!harm!or!property!
!
Apparent!or!present!ability!to!affect!the!person!!
• How!relevant!is!the!state!of!mind!of!the!victim?!
o there!must!be!an!attempt!or!threat[!accused!has!actually!or!
apparent!ability!to!affect!their!purpose!
• Even!if!they!are!unaware!or!uncertain!of!that!fact!e.g.!having!a!gun!
• Where!they!have!a!gun!where!it!is!not!loaded!–!still!a!conviction!of!an!
assault!
o There!is!an!apparent!ability!to!apply!force!
!
Brady!v!Shatzel!!
• Facts!
o Police!went!to!interview!to!the!son[!appeared!to!load!the!rifle!–!
asked!them!to!leave!indicating!that!she!would!shoot!if!he!did!not!
leave!
• Held!
o If!there!was!evidence!that!the!rifle!was!loaded!it!mean!they!had!the!
actual!present!ability!to!affect!the!purpose!and!therefore!be!guilty!
of!assault!
o Even!if!she!pretended!to!load!it[!this!would!be!that!she!appeared!to!
have!had!the!actual!present!ability!to!affect!the!purpose!and!
therefore!be!guilty!of!assault!
!
S339(Assaults(occasioning(bodily(harm(–(Meaning(of(“bodily(harm”(
!
Elements:!
• Person!unlawfully!
• Assaulted!another!
• Thereby!did!other!bodily!harm!
!
S1:!bodily$harm!
• bodily$harm!means!any!bodily!injury!which!interferes!with!health!or!
comfort.!
[ In!Lergesner$v$Carroll!(1991)!–!Shepherdson!J!observed!that!the!definition!
was!broad!enough!to!cover!a!black!eye!or!a!bloodied!nose!received!from!a!
fistfight.!!A!sensation!of!pain!alone!without!the!infliction!of!an!identified!
bodily!injury!is!not!sufficient!to!constitute!‘bodily!harm’:!(See!Scatchard!v!
R!(1987)!27!A!Crim!R!136)!
!
!
!
!
6!
Assault!occasioning!bodily!harm!!
• in!order!to!obtain!a!conviction,!the!prosecution!must!prove!not!only!an!
assault!but!also!that!bodily!harm!was!caused.!–!On!the!principles!of!causation.!
If!not!actually!foreseen,!the!harm!must!have!been!foreseeable.!!The!
prosecution!must!disprove!accident!if!that!defence!is!in!issueIt!sometimes!
happens!that!an!assailant!intends!to!strike!one!person!but!misses!and!strikes!
and!perhaps!injures!another!person.!The!contact!that!actually!results!in!
different!from!the!contact,!which!was!intended.!–!Nerveless!the!scope!of!what!
was!foreseeable!is!a!matter!for!the!jury!to!determine!and!the!defence!of!
accident!should!not!be!withdrawn!from!its!consideration.!!!
!
!
!
Homicide:(s302(
!!
s293(Definition(of(killing!
• Except!as!hereinafter!set!forth,!any!person!who!causes!the!death!of!
another,!directly!or!indirectly,!by!any!means!whatever,!is!deemed!to!have!
killed!that!other!person.!
!
s291(Killing(of(a(human(being(unlawful!
• It!is!unlawful!to!kill!any!person!unless!such!killing!is!authorised!or!
justified!or!excused!by!law.!
!
s300(
• says!that!anyone!who!unlawfully!kills!another!is!guilty!of!either!murder!
or!manslaughter,!depending!on!the!circumstances!
!
Causation((
• Causation!is!an!issue!that!lurks!behind!all!offences!which!are!defined!by!
an!outcome!(like!murder,!wounding,!doing!GBH,!etc)!as!opposed!to!being!
defined!by!an!action!(such!as!assault,!rape,!fraud,!stealing,!etc).!
• S293!requires!attention!to!the!concept!of!“causation”,!and!it!is!clear!from!
the!structure!of!the!Code!that!causation!is!logically!prior!to!issues!of!
“unlawfulness”,!and!questions!of!“unlawfulness”!are!logically!prior!to!
issues!like!intention!in!s302.!
• The!general!principles!about!causation!are!derived!from!common!law!
cases!–!Royall$(1990)!172!CLR!378!
• For!an!example!of!an!unusual!problem,!see!Meli$[1954]!1!All!ER!373.!
o Intention!has!to!attach!to!the!act!that!the!killer!did!
o However,!in!Meli’s!case!they!used!violence!and!thought!they!killed!
him[!threw!him!off!a!cliff[!they!hadn’t!killed!him!the!exposure!from!
the!rocks!killed!him!
o They!argued!that!they!could!not!have!an!intention!to!kill!him!
because!they!had!already!killed!him[!treat!all!of!it!as!the!one!
behavior!!
• The!test(is!whether!the!act!of!the!accused!is!a!“substantial”!cause!of!death,!
not!necessarily!the!sole!or!even!main!cause.[!just!an!operative!cause!of!
death!that!attracts!the!description!of!substantial!
!
7!
•
•
The!Code!adds!further!principles!that!apply!in!specific!cases:!
o S295!covers!death!by!threats!or!intimidation!!
o S296!captures!cases!where!an!otherwise!inevitable!death!is!
hastened!by!the!accused!
o S297!provides,!in!effect,!that!it!doesn’t!matter!if!death!could!have!
been!avoided!by!proper!treatment.!
o S298!prevents!the!accused!blaming!medical!treatment!subsequent!
to!his!actions!for!causing!the!death,!as!long!as!certain!conditions!
are!met.!
Burns!HCA!
o Allows!for!an!intervening!act!to!still!be!relevant!
o Accused!took!drugs!to!victim[!the!victim!injected!them!and!died!
o Argued!that!accused!caused!death!
o But!HCA!said!no!because!when!they!made!the!individual!adult!
decision!to!inject!it!!
!
Intentional(Murder:(s302(1)(a)(
!
s302(1)(a):!Intention!
• This!requires!proof!that!the!act!causing!death!was!accompanied!by!an!
intention!to!kill!or!do!grievous!bodily!harm!(a!“guilty!intention”)!
• What!does!it!meant!to!“intend”!something?!This!is!potentially!complex.!
The!law’s!solution!is!to!avoid!using!synonyms!that!simply!circle!the!
problem!and!to!say!that!the!word!is!an!ordinary!English!word!with!which!
juries!are!familiar.!If!necessary,!a!suitable!synonym!might!be!that!the!
accused!“meant!to!do!it”!(the!death!or!GBH).!On!this!point,!see!Willmott$
(No$2)![1985]!2!Qd!R!413!
• When!we!talk!about!intention!we!are!talking!about!a!subjective!intention[!
what!is!actually!in!the!accused’s!mind!!
• An!accurate!synonym!for!“intention”!is!that!the!accused!“meant!to!do”!the!
thing!said!to!be!intended.!(Benchbook!No!144).!However,!the!rule!is!that!
since!intention!is!an!ordinary!word,!it!should!not!be!explained!to!the!jury!
unless!they!seek!assistance!on!the!point!![!Willmot$(No$2)![1985]!2!Qd!R!
413,!418[419.!
!
Intentional!murder:!grievous!bodily!harm!(GBH)!
• GBH!is!defined!in!s1!of!the!Code.!
• grievous)bodily)harm)means—!
o (a)!the!loss!of!a!distinct!part!or!an!organ!of!the!body;!or!
o (b)!serious!disfigurement;!or!
o (c)!any!bodily!injury!of!such!a!nature!that,!if!left!untreated,!would!
endanger!or!be!likely!to!endanger!life,!or!cause!or!be!likely!to!
cause!permanent!injury!to!health;!
o whether!or!not!treatment!is!or!could!have!been!available!
• Key!concepts!to!note!are:!
o Bodily$injury!
o Of!such!a!nature!as!to:!
!
8!
•
•
•
! endanger!or!be!likely!to!endanger!life,!or!
! cause!or!be!likely!to!cause!permanent!injury!to!health!
In!Lobston![1983]!2!Qd!R!720,!the!court!held!that!the!test!to!be!applied!to!
determining!whether!GBH!was!present!had!to!be!applied!without!
reference!to!whether!or!not!medical!assistance!was!available!
As!well!as!providing!a!rule!of!universal!application,!this!principle!
prevents!focus!at!a!trial!being!on!issues!that!are!speculative!and!remote!
from!the!conduct!of!the!accused,!such!as!whether!or!not!some!treatment!
or!other!might!have!worked,!or!could!have!been!available,!or!whether!the!
shortcomings!of!the!health!system!should!be!reviewed!to!determine!
whether!a!person!might!have!been!able!to!be!treated.!This!principle!was!
later!enacted!into!the!current!definition.!
It!is!expanded!to!include!loss!of!an!organ!or!distinct!part!of!the!body!or!
serious!disfigurement.!
!
Intentional!murder:!grievous!bodily!harm!–!“likely”!
• A!question!arises!as!to!what!it!means!to!say!that!a!consequence!referred!
to!in!the!definition!is!“likely”.!
• The!cases!(see,!eg,!Crossman$[2011]!QCA!126)!indicate!that!something!is!
“likely”!if!it!has!a!“substantial!chance”!of!occurring,!“that!is,!a!real!and!not!
remote!chance;!more!than!a!mere!possibility”.!It!thus!does!not!mean!
“more!probable!than!not.”!
• Note!the!similarity!of!this!formula!with!the!test!for!foreseeability!in!s23.!
o Even!though!they!are!similar!they!apply!at!a!different!time[!
intention!applies!as!to!whether!it!was!unlawful!or!not!and!this!
applies!whether!there!was!a!guilty!intent!or!not!
!
Summary!intentional!murder!
• if!a!person!unlawfully!kills!while!intending!to!cause!death!or!GBH,!he!is!
guilty!of!murder.!
• It!is!for!the!jury!to!determine!his!intention!based!on!his!actions!and!all!the!
circumstances,!and!then!to!say!whether!the!injury!intended!necessarily!
amounted!to!GBH.!
• Once!causation!is!established!(and!in!the!vast!majority!of!cases,!it!is!not!
an!issue),!questions!of:!
o self[defence!(s271),!!
o accident!and!unwilled!act!(s23),!!
o mistake!of!fact!(depending!on!the!circumstances!and!what!the!
mistake!was!about[s24)!!
o and!other!similar!issues!go!to!the!issue!of!whether!the!killing!was!
“unlawful”.!
• Since!a!killing!must!be!unlawful!before!it!can!be!either!murder!or!even!
manslaughter,!then!these!issues!can!in!principle!result!in!a!complete!
acquittal!
!
9!