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Recklessness in criminal cases

The subjective test for recklessnessCertain statutory and common law offences allow the prosecution to prove the mens rea on the basis of ‘recklessness’. In essence, recklessness means the taking of an unjustified risk by the accused that leads to unlawful harm or damage.The subjective test for recklessness was reaffirmed by the House of Lords in R v G. Before R v G, there were two tests for recklessness, with the applicable test depending on the substantive offence charged. The two tests were for:•subjective recklessness as established by R v Cunningham. This test required the prosecution to prove that the accused had foreseen the risk themselves•objective recklessness as established by R v Caldwell. This test required the prosecution to prove that the risk would have been obvious to a reasonable person. The prosecution were not required to prove that the accused themselves foresaw the riskThe House of Lords in R v G held that the objective test could cause unfairness in circumstances where a defendant did not foresee the unlawful consequences...

Attempt

A person is guilty of attempting to commit an offence if they do an act that is more than preparatory to the commission of the offence, with the intention of committing an offence. An attempt is an offence of specific intent. It requires an intention to commit an offence. The offence itself consists of both a criminal act and a mental state. In each case it is a question of fact whether the accused has gone sufficiently far towards the full offence to have committed the act of the attempt. If the accused has passed the preparatory stage the offence of attempt has been committed and it is no defence that they then withdrew from committing the completed offence.Most attempts at committing criminal offences will be governed by section 1 of the Criminal Attempts Act 1981 (CAA 1981), although some statutory exceptions apply. These include:•burglary under section 9(1)(b) of the Theft Act 1968 (TA 1968), and•using a firearm to resist arrest under section 17 of the Firearms Act 1968 (FiA...

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Litigation, advocacy and ADR policy

Litigation, advocacy and ADR policy 1 Introduction 1.1 This document sets out our policy for dealing with litigation and advocacy before any court or tribunal and any form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). It reflects duties imposed on us by the court and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) as well as general professional duties. 1.2 Failure to comply with these duties can have serious consequences: 1.2.1 the firm or a member of staff could be in contempt of court, which is ultimately punishable by a fine or even imprisonment; 1.2.2 our reputation could be damaged; 1.2.3 the firm or individuals within the firm could be disciplined by the SRA or another regulator, which could lead to fines, disqualification or other sanctions; 1.2.4 we may receive a formal complaint from our client or another party. 1.3 We have always taken our duties to the court seriously and we will continue to do so. 2 Scope of this policy 2.1 This policy covers: 2.1.1 litigation and advocacy before...