Criminal Act - Law Dictionary Search Results
Home Dictionary Name: criminal act Page: 2intent
intent 1 : the act or fact of intending: as a : the design or purpose to commit a wrongful or criminal act called also criminal intent compare knowledge, mens rea, motive, negligence b : the purpose to commit a tortious act having consequences that the actor desires and believes or knows will occur constructive intent : intent that is inferred to exist (as from willfulness or recklessness) in relation to an act criminal intent : intent general intent : intent to perform an illegal act without the desire for further consequences or a precise result [there was a general intent to assault but not to kill] specific intent : intent to perform an illegal act with the knowledge or purpose that particular results will or may ensue [assaulted him with specific intent to kill] trans·ferred intent 1 : intent attributed to a person who intends to cause another harm when the harm is accidentally inflicted on an unintended victim 2 : a doctrine in tort and criminal law: a wrongdoer...
Witness
Witness, is a person who testifies in a court, Webster Random House Dictionary, p. 1680.Witness, one who gives evidence in a cause.1. One who sees, knows, or vouches for something2. One who gives testimony, under oath or affirmation, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th Edn., p. 1596.A witness must attend in court according to the requirement of his subp'na. If he has not been paid his lawful expenses, he may refuse to be sworn; but if he be once sworn, he must give his evidence. See OATH and AFFIRMATION.In civil cases, as a rule, husband and wife are competent and compellable witnesses against each other [Evidence Amendment Act, 1853 (16 & 17 Vict. c. 83), s. 1], but husbands and wives are not compellable to disclose communications between each other (s. 3 ibid.). As to criminal cases, see Criminal Evidence Act, 1898, as amended, and that title.A witness is not obliged to answer any question which tends to criminate him.On the application of either party, all the witnesses on both sides are or...
Criminal Law Amendment Acts, 1885 to 1928 (English)
Criminal Law Amendment Acts, 1885 to 1928 (English). By the Act of 1885 the procuration of women under twenty-one, and illicit though un-resisted intercourse with girls between thirteen and sixteen, are made misdemeanours, brothel-keepers are made liable to summary proceedings, and prisoners charged with sexual offences are allowed to give evidence on their own behalf. The Act is amended by the Criminal Law Amendment Act,1912, which empowers a constable to arrest without a warrant any person offending against the Act of 1885, provides the flogging offenders, and maks better provision for the suppression of brothels and prostitution. The Act of 1922 provides that the consent to an act of indecency by a child or young person under sixteen shall be no defence to a charge of indecent assault (s. 1). Reasonable cause to believe that a girl was over sixteen shall notbe a defence to a charge undr ss. 5 and 6 of the Act of 1885 (i.e., defilement of a girl between thirteen and sixteen, or permi...
Contempt of court
Contempt of court, means civil contempt or criminal contempt.--A disobedience to or disregard of the rules, orders, process, or dignity of a Court, which has power to punish for such offence by committal. Contempts are either direct, which only insult or resist the powers of the Court, or the persons of the judges who preside there; or consequential, which, without such gross insolence or direct opposition, plainly tend to create a universal disregard of their authority. Contempts may be divided into acts of contempt committed in the Court itself (in facie curi') and out of Court. Among the former are all unseemly behaviour (for which, and which only (see Reg. v. Lefroy, (1873) LR 8 QB 134), there is an express power to punish by s. 162 of the (English) County Courts Act, 1888), as talking boisterously, applauding any part of the proceedings, refusing to be sworn or to answer a question as a witness, interfering with the business of the Court on the part of a person who has no right to...
impossibility
impossibility pl: -ties 1 : the quality or state of being impossible ;also : the affirmative defense that something (as performance) is impossible 2 : something impossible 3 : impossibility of performance in this entry fac·tu·al impossibility : impossibility based on factual circumstances ;specif : a partial defense to criminal liability based on the incompletion of an intended criminal act NOTE: Factual impossibility is not a complete defense and does allow prosecution for attempt or for another inchoate offense. For example, if the defendant constructed a bomb that failed to explode, factual impossibility would be a defense against murder charges, but not attempted murder. impossibility of per·for·mance 1 : a doctrine in contract law that a party may be released from liability for breach of contract for failing to perform an obligation that is rendered impossible by uncontrollable circumstances (as death or failure of the means of delivery) 2 : a defe...
Notes, Judge's
Notes, Judge's. a judge usually takes notes of the viva voce evidence given during the trial of an action, and these are in practice always referred to on appeal, although they cannot be obtained as a matter of right. In criminal trials the judge must, it seems, take such notes and furnish them, in cases of appeal, to the Court of Criminal Appeal [(English) Court of Criminal Appeal Act, 1907, ss. 8 and 9(a); and Criminal Appeal Rules, 1908, r. 14]. At the trial or hearing of any action or matter in the county court in which there is a right of appeal, the judge, at the request of either party, shall make a note of any question of law raised, and of the facts in evidence relating thereto, and of his decision thereon, and of his decision of the action or matter. Any party to the action is entitled to a copy at his own expense [(English) County Courts Act, 1888, ss. 120 and 121]. See now County Courts Act, 1934 (c. 53), ss. 105, 108; and McGrah v. Cartwright (1889) 23 QBD 3, as to the dut...
Civil prison
Civil prison, means any jail or place used for the detention of any criminal prisoner under the Prisons Act, 1894, or under any other law for the time being in force. [Border Security Force Act, 1968, s. 2 (1) (e); means any jail or place used for the detention of any criminal prisoner under the prison Act or under any other law for the time being in force Army Act, 1950 (45 of 1950), s. 3 (iii)]--means any jail or place used for the detention of any criminal prisoner under the Prisons Act, 1894 or under any other law for the time being in force. [Air Force Act, 1950 (45 of 1950), s. 4 (xiii)]...
Poor Prisoners, Defence of
Poor Prisoners, Defence of. The (English) Poor Prisoners Defence Act, 1930 (20 & 21 Geo. 5, c. 32), repealing the Poor Prisoners' Defence Act, 1903, entitles any person to free legal aid in the preparation and conduct of his defence at the trial and to have solicitor and counsel assigned to him for that purpose, if a certificate, called the 'defence certificate,' is granted by the justices committing him for trial or of the judge or chairman of the court before which he is to be tried, at any time after reading the depositions. The certificate is grantable only 'when it appears to the certifying authority that his means are insufficient to enable him to obtain such aid, and must be granted in respect of any person committeed for trial on a charge of murder, and may be granted when a person committed for trial upon any other charge, if it appears to the authority, having regard to all the circumstances of the case (including the nature of such defence, if any, as may have been set up) t...
Criminal Lunatics Act, 1884 (English)
Criminal Lunatics Act, 1884 (English) (47 & 48 Vict. c. 64), consolidating and amending thelaw as to the detention, custody, and discharge of criminal lunatics, the principal amendment being that effected bys. 10, which transfers the expense of maintenance of criminal lunatics from their parish or county to the country generally....
Error
Error. The name for recourse to the Court of Exchequer Chamber from any of the inferior tribunals, by reason of defects in the record, or to the House of Lords from the Exchequer Chamber; or to the King's Bench Division of the High Court in criminal cases. Proceedings in error were abolished by the (English) Jud. Act, 1875, Order VLIII., r. 1, except in criminal cases, appeal being substituted in civil cases.In criminal cases also writs of error are now abolished by s. 20(1) of the (English) Criminal Appeal Act, 1907. See, for the procedure, Rules 173-205 of the (English) Crown Office Rules of 1906.A psychological state that does not confirm to objective reality; a belief that what is false or that what is true is false, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th Edn....
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