General Elements of Liability | AQA A-Level Law (7162)
General Elements of Liability
- 42 questions
- 3 subtopics
- Paper 1: Criminal law
- Paper 1
Actus reus in its three forms, the requirement of voluntariness, causation in fact and in law, and the varieties of mens rea..
It covers the External Element of a Crime, voluntariness and Causation and mens Rea, Strict Liability and Coincidence.
Sample questions from General Elements of Liability
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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The External Element of a Crime
When can a failure to act constitute the actus reus of a crime?
Show the answer
When the law imposes a duty to act and the defendant fails to fulfil that duty (an omission). -
The External Element of a Crime
When does voluntary assumption of responsibility create a duty to act?
Show the answer
When a person voluntarily undertakes to care for another who is unable to care for themselves, they assume a duty to continue that care. -
Voluntariness and Causation
Explain the 'but for' test in criminal law.
Show the answer
Factual causation is established if, but for the defendant's conduct, the consequence would not have occurred. -
Voluntariness and Causation
State the thin skull rule.
Show the answer
A defendant must take their victim as they find them, including any pre-existing vulnerabilities. -
Mens Rea, Strict Liability and Coincidence
What is negligence as a fault element in criminal law?
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Falling below the standard of care expected of a reasonable person, assessed objectively. -
Mens Rea, Strict Liability and Coincidence
How are strict liability offences typically created?
Show the answer
By statute, and they are usually regulatory in nature.
The 3 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| The External Element of a Crime | Recall questions on what the prosecution must prove as the physical element and on the three forms it can take. | 13 |
| Voluntariness and Causation | Recall questions on voluntariness and involuntariness, the but for test, legal causation, when a novus actus interveniens breaks the chain, the thin skull rule and consequences as part of actus reus. | 10 |
| Mens Rea, Strict Liability and Coincidence | Recall questions on direct and oblique intention, subjective recklessness and negligence, transferred malice and its limits, strict liability offences and the presumption of mens rea, and the continuing act and single transaction principles. | 19 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA A-Level Law Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,352 questions with their answers.