London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

Modules

101
Criminal law

(a) Nature of criminal law

Definition. Classification of crimes. Comparison with other branches of law. Social purposes of criminal law. Crime and morality.

(b) Principles

General principles of liability

  1. Actus Reus (Conduct)
    • Acts and omissions
    • Consequences
    • Surrounding circumstances.
  2. Mens Rea (States of mind)
    • Intention
    • Recklessness
    • Knowledge
    • Negligence
    • Strict and vicarious liability.
  3. Capacity
    • Corporations
    • Minors.

General defences. Mistake. Necessity. Compulsion. Superior orders. Automatism. Insanity. Drunkenness.

Participation in offences. Principals and secondary parties (abettors, counselling). Participation after offences committed (assisting offenders, concealing offences).

Anticipatory Offences. Attempts. Incitement. Conspiracy.

(c) Specific offences

Homicide. Murder. Manslaughter. Infanticide. Child destruction. Causing death by reckless driving. Diminished responsibility, provocation, suicide pacts and self defence.

Non-fatal offences against the person. Assault and battery. Racially aggravated assaults. Wounding and causing grievous bodily harm. Administering poison. Abortion and child destruction. Harassment contrary to Prevention of Harassment Act 1997. Racially-aggravated harassment.

Offences against property. Theft. Criminal deception (obtaining services, property and pecuniary advantage). Making off. False accounting. Removal of things from public places. Taking motor cars and other conveyances including the aggravated offence. Burglary. Robbery. Blackmail. Handling stolen goods. Forgery. Counterfeiting. Arson and criminal damage. Racially aggravated criminal damage. Offences under the Criminal Law Act, 1977 as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

[Note: While sexual offences will not be examined as specific offences, many examples of cases illustrating general principles (consent, mistake, duress etc.) involve sexual offences and students will be expected to have knowledge of these].