Criminal law worksheet with answers

Under section 2 of the Homicide Act 1957, who bears the burden of proving diminished responsibility?

1. AThe judge, on the medical evidence alone
2. BNobody, as the jury decides freely
3. CThe defendant, on the balance of probabilities
4. DThe prosecution, beyond reasonable doubt

A person who helps or encourages another to commit a crime, without carrying out the act themselves, is called:

1. AAn innocent agent
2. BA principal offender
3. CA co-defendant witness
4. DAn accessory (secondary party)

What is the age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales?

1. A10
2. B12
3. C14
4. D16

D is present when a crime is committed but does nothing to help or encourage it. Following R v Clarkson, D is:

1. AThe principal, because D witnessed the whole crime
2. BAn accessory, because D could have called the police
3. CAn accessory, because voluntary presence at the scene always amounts to encouragement
4. DNot an accessory, because mere presence without intent to encourage is not enough

D, being pursued by armed police, uses V as a human shield and fires at the officers. The police return fire and kill V. Following R v Pagett, D is:

1. ALiable, because the police acted reasonably in self-defence and did not break the chain of causation
2. BLiable only if the police officers are also convicted
3. CNot liable, because V's death was not foreseeable to D
4. DNot liable, because the police officers' decision to fire was a free, deliberate and informed intervening act

D attacks someone while sleepwalking. Following R v Burgess, the correct defence is:

1. AInsanity, because sleepwalking was caused by an internal factor
2. BNon-insane automatism, because sleep is natural
3. CInvoluntary intoxication, because D was not aware
4. DSelf-defence, because D was dreaming of an attack

In R v Windle (1952), the court interpreted "wrong" in the M'Naghten Rules to mean:

1. AMorally wrong by society's standards
2. BLegally wrong
3. CWrong according to the defendant's own beliefs
4. DWrong in the eyes of a doctor

Under the loss of control defence (Coroners and Justice Act 2009), the defence is NOT available if:

1. AThe defendant acted in a considered desire for revenge
2. BThe victim was a family member
3. CThe loss of control was not sudden
4. DThe defendant had been drinking that day