Index ABANDONMENT abandonment going to elements of offence, 50 51, 328 329 defence of abandonment arguments against, 326 328 arguments for, 323 325 availability Australia, 317 319 Canada and England, 312 317 civil law jurisdictions, 325 conclusion, 328 329 general, 311 312 South Africa, 319 320 United States, 320 323 Model Penal Code, 321 322 factor in sentencing, 327 328, 397 398 ABORTION see also PROCURING MISCARRIAGE, 268, 355 357 ACCOMPLICES accomplice to attempt, 351 357 attempt to aid and abet, 351 353 counselling, 354 355 ACTUS REUS as evidence of intent, 54 55, 90, 392 functions of judge and jury English versus Canadian position, 131 137 perverse verdicts, 135 137 questions of fact and law, 6 7, 135 137 interaction with intent, 131 preparation versus attempt general, 5 6, 53, 95, 121 131 indeterminate tests, 218 need for workable rule, 126, 220 222 objective and subjective standards, 128, 217 218 reliance on facts of case, 126, 137 139 specific tests abnormal step, 216 causation, 210 211 commitment, 215 common sense, 212 213
402 THE LAW OF CRIMINAL ATTEMPT conduct otherwise criminal, 216 217 consummation, likeliness of, 214 215 control, 208 210 culpability otherwise required, 211 212 dangerousness, 176 184 discretion of court, 213 214 equivocality, 184 196 final stage theories last act, 165 170 penultimate act, 170 172 possibility of intervention, 172 probability of desistance, 172 176 first stage theories commencement of execution, 161 164 general, 155 161 guidelines, 205 206, 215, 218 220, 394 indispensable element, 208 210 proximity, 142 155, 198, 208, 217 218, 221 222 reform proposal, 394 396 substantial step, 196 208, 219, 221 AIDING AND ABETTING aiding and abetting attempt, 351 357 impossibility of attempted aiding and abetting, 354 355 ARSON, 130, 165, 185, 313, 338 339 ASSAULT, 268, 287 289 ATTEMPT BY OMISSION, 139 142, 289 290 ATTEMPTED MURDER see MURDER ATTEMPT BREAKING AND ENTERING, 72 73, 233, 292, 313 BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION, 256 258 CHARGING OFFENCES see INDICTMENT CIVIL LAW abandonment as defence, 325 general attempt provisions, 10 12, 379 380 COMPARATIVE LAW, 10 12, 138 142, 155, 161 164, 325, 379 381 CONDUCT see ACTUS REUS CONSPIRACY attempted conspiracy, 292 298 conspiracy to do impossible, 298 301 CORPORATIONS, 367 369, 399 400 COUNSELLING AND PROCURING, 354 355 CRIME PREVENTION and individual freedom, 43, 307 310 as function of law of attempt, 15 19, 36 38 as rational for preparatory offences, 20 28, 36 DANGEROUSNESS, 10, 22 26, 43 44, 176 184, 262 281 DEFENCES see ABANDONMENT; IMPOSSIBILITY; PROVOCATION DEFINITION OF ATTEMPT Criminal Code general, 2 3, 377 378 inadequacy of definition, 3 7, 124, 309 310, 392 development, 11 12, 378 English position, 190 191 semantic confusion between legal and practical meanings, 23, 43, 47, 92 97, 121 124, 149 150, 273, 280
INDEX 403 ELEMENTS OF OFFENCE see ACTUS REUS; MENS REA EXTORTION, 256 258, 291 292 FRAUD, 170 171, 208 210, 256 258, 294 295, 297, 332, 335 GENERAL STATUTORY PROVISIONS comparative law general, 10 12, 379 381 influence of French Penal Code, 10, 161, 379 380 influence of U.S. Model Penal Code, 380 381 Criminal Code see also REFORM PROPOSALS incompleteness of definition, 5 6 proposals for abolition, 309 310 HISTORICAL ASPECTS OF LAW, 9 13 HYBRID OR OPTIONABLE OFFENCES see INFORMATION AND INDICTMENT; SENTENCING IMPAIRED DRIVING, 290, 338 IMPOSSIBILITY ambiguity in Criminal Code, 309 310 categories of impossibility lack of essential quality bungled bullet, 252 256 false pretences, 256 258 fraud where victim not deceived, 256 258 ineffective means, 22, 261 263, 277 278 inoperative weapon, 229, 252 256 Lady Eldon s lace, 259 261 offence not known to law, 278 280 poisoning with harmless substance, 250 252 non existence of something in external world absent ambush victim, 127, 242 245 empty pocket, 232 238 non existent narcotic, 249 250 trying tree stump, 245 247 ubiquitous umbrella, 85 86, 247 249 vacuous womb, 238 242 personal incapacity age, 263 268, 269 impotency, 268 269 charging offence, 348 351 conspiracy to do impossible, 298 301 English solution, 303 304 factual versus legal, 229 232, 278 280 legislative solutions, 223 224 objective approach, 301 302 offences impossible to attempt, 286 298 principle of legality, 224 227, 229n, 260, 270 punishment for attempting impossible, 22 receiving stolen goods general, 269 270, 278 279 principle in Haughton v. Smith criticism, 278 281 distinguished in Canada, 284 286 general, 275 278 overruled in England, 283, 303 304 specific applications, 280 283 reform proposals, 307 310, 396 397 statutory interpretation, 224 229 subjective approach, 303 307 U.S. Model Penal Code, 304 307, 310 INCITEMENT, 293, 297 INDICTMENT,
404 THE LAW OF CRIMINAL ATTEMPT charging offence accomplices, 353 corporations and partnerships, 367 369 general, 348 351 hybrid offences, 365 indictable offences, 362 363 summary offences, 363 364 drafting indictment carefully, 115 116, 228, 233, 236, 348 351 form, 347 351 INDICTABLE OFFENCES see INDICTMENT INTENT see MENS REA JUDGE AND JURY, 6 7, 86 87, 131 137, 337 LAW REFORM see REFORM PROPOSALS MAGIC see WITCHCRAFT MANSLAUGHTER attempted, 357 362, 399 MENS REA complexity and ambiguity of law, 45 47, 86, 119 120 conditional intent, 111 116, 350 definition by reference to substantive offence distinction between consequences and circumstances, 99 102 general, 79 83 intent alone not criminal, 9, 24 25, 47 55, 129 130 negligence insufficient, 5, 59 62, 102 106 objective and subjective approaches, 55 proof, 53 54 recklessness attempted murder, 62 79 concept of qualified intent, 85 86 foresight of consequences, 83 85 indirect intention, 86 intention to effect consequences, 99 102 present state of law, 79 80, 87 88 rationale, 87 97 semantic fallacy in exclusion, 92 94 reform proposals, 392 394 specific intent attempted murder, 65, 72 79 general, 57 62 policy arguments, 97 99 strict liability, 5, 79, 107 111 terminology, 45 47 transferred intent, 117 119 MERGER common law doctrine, 331 333 prosecution for attempt or full offence, 328, 344 345, 351 reform proposal, 398 399 status of doctrine Canada, 334 341 England, 331 332, 334 United States, 332, 341 344 MODEL PENAL CODE see U.S. MODEL PENAL CODE MURDER ATTEMPT defences impossibility, 242 247, 250 256 provocation, 357 362 self defence, 362 definition, 73 74, 352 353, 383, 386 387 mens rea, 57 63, 65 79, 80 83, 95, 99 reduction to attempted manslaughter, 357 362 similar fact evidence, 365 366 OMISSION AS ATTEMPT, 139 140, 289 290
INDEX 405 OPTIONAL OR HYBRID OFFENCES see INFORMATION AND INDICTMENT; SENTENCING PERJURY, 291 292 POISONING, 169, 250 252 POSSESSION OF NARCOTICS, 101, 145n, 200 201, 249 250, 282 PREPARATION VERSUS ATTEMPT see ACTUS REUS PREPARATORY OFFENCES, 377, 386 389 PROCURING MISCARRIAGE, 225 227, 238 242 PROVOCATION as defence to attempted murder, 357 362 reform proposals, 399 PUBLIC POLICY, 7 8, 19, 225, 246, 309 PUNISHMENT see also SENTENCING necessity and purpose, 43 44 principles applied to attempt deterrence general deterrence, 39 32, 391 special deterrence, 29 32 law enforcement, 138, 152, 281 protection of society, 29, 37, 42 public policy, 42 rehabilitation, 34 36 retribution, 32 34 risk of harm, 39 41 rationale for punishing attempt, 15 19, 40, 49, 308 309 theory general, 15 19 objective approach dangerous as criterion, 21 22 emphasis on welfare of society, 327 328 necessity for harm, 23 24 subjective approach emphasis on personal intent, 24 English Criminal Attempts Act, 26 Roman law, 10 27 societal versus individual rights, 2, 12, 15, 27, 44, 308 309 theoretical difficulties, 26 27, 127 128 U.S. Model Penal Code, 25 26 RECEIVING STOLEN GOODS see IMPOSSIBILITY RECKLESSNESS see MENS REA REFORM PROPOSALS abandonment defence, 397 398 actus reus, 394 396 evidential and procedural matters, 399 400 impossibility defence, 396 397 mens rea, 396 397 merger doctrine, 398 399 necessity for reform, 116, 391 392 sentencing, 375 376 RELATIONAL NATURE OF ATTEMPT, 3 ROBBERY, 38, 201 202 ROMAN LAW, 10, 27 SENTENCING see also PUNISHMENT abandonment as mitigating factor, 326 327 half measure rules, 375 376, 400 range of dispositions, 344 345, 371 374, 400 reference materials, 371 373
406 THE LAW OF CRIMINAL ATTEMPT SEXUAL OFFENCES, 41, 108, 186 187, 193, 263 269, 288 289, 314, 332 333, 366 SIMILAR FACT EVIDENCE, 54, 365 366 SPECIFIC ATTEMPT OFFENCES, 383 385 SPECIFIC INTENT see MENS REA STATEMENTS OF ACCUSED, 53 54, 184 185 SUBSTANTIVE NATURE OF ATTEMPT, 3, 12 SUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS see MERGER SUMMARY OFFENCES see INDICTMENT TESTS FOR ATTEMPT see ACTUS REUS THEFT, 37, 99, 111 116, 209, 229 238, 240, 247 249, 278, 281 282, 316 317, 349 351, 365 TREASON impossibility of attempt, 387 intent as substance of offence, 55 56 U.S. MODEL PENAL CODE defence of abandonment, 321 322 general attempt provision, 380 381 impossibility, approach to, 304 307, 310 punishment for attempt, 25 substantial step test, 196 198, 201, 379 381, 394 395 subjective viewpoint, 26 WITCHCRAFT, 261 263