Criticize the Current Law on Murder and Manslaughter

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Introduction The purpose of this paper is to explain the current law governing murder and manslaughter. In addition, this paper will analyze the effectiveness of the defence of provocation and determine whether a law reform on this special defence is necessary in order to reflect the social changes over the centuries. Murder and Manslaughter The general principal in criminal law is that a person will not be held liable unless both actus reus and mens rea can be established. Both offences of murder and manslaughter require the same actus reus, which is an unlawful killing of a person in being in the Queen’s peace. Since murder is a consequence crime, the prosecutors must also show that the act of the accused is a substantial operative cause of the death. Besides the necessary actus reus, the prosecutor also bears the onus to prove mens rea in order to establish the criminal offences. The required mens rea for murder is a direct or oblique intent to kill or to inflict grievous bodily harm . Even if no intention to kill or to inflict grievous bodily harm, one might be liable for involuntary manslaughter if there is evidence showing either a dangerous act, gross negligence, or recklessness is involved. Currently, there are three partial defenses, diminished responsibility, provocation, and killing in pursuance of a suicide pact, for murder created under the Homicide Ordinance. If any one of the three defenses can be successfully pleaded, the accused can reduce his charge from murder to voluntary manslaughter. It is important to have a clear dividing line between murder and manslaughter because they have very different sentencing structure. While person convicted of murder will receive a mandatory life sentencing, a person found liable for manslaughter will receive a punishment of imprisonment up to life and imposed fines at the court’s discretion.

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