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Modern Criminal Law of Australia

Modern Criminal Law of Australia

Author: Jeremy Gans
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521737470
Published In: May 2012
Format: Paperback , 444 pages
Jurisdiction: International ? Disclaimer:
Countri(es) stated herein are used as reference only

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Modern Criminal Law of Australia is a comprehensive guide to interpreting and understanding every statutory offence provision in every Australian jurisdiction. The text takes a unique approach to explaining Australian criminal law, emphasising the importance of statutory interpretation, official discretion, element analysis and sentencing, in order to appreciate the meaning and effect of any offence provision. This book sets out the rules and skills needed to advise clients on the potential application of the criminal law throughout Australia. Its scope extends to both serious and minor regulatory regimes, as well as the entire contemporary breadth of the criminal law, ranging from pollution to public order, traffic to trafficking and domestic violence to work safety. It covers the common law, traditional code and model code systems, and includes detailed examples from all states. As such, this unique book provides students with the skills to practise law anywhere in Australia.

• Students gain a deeper understanding of each legal system in Australia through comparisons and contrasts

• Provides students and modern practitioners with the skills and information to understand and advise clients about any of the thousands of criminal offences across Australia

• The book excerpts hundreds of statutory provisions together with detailed discussion of how to read them

Table of statutes	x
Table of cases	xxiv
Introduction	1
The problem of criminal law books	1
Crime books	2
Skills books	2
How to read this book	4
Chapters	4
Structures	6
Examples	8
How to use this book	10
Working	10
Teaching	11
Learning	15
Acknowledgments	17
1 Words	19
1.1 Introduction	19
1.2 The problem of words	19
1.2.1 Finding meaning	20
1.2.2 Finding words	22
1.3 Reading statutes	25
1.3.1 Language	26
1.3.2 Context	29
1.3.3 Purpose	33
1.4 Reading offence provisions	37
1.4.1 Penal provisions	37
1.4.2 Human rights law	39
1.4.3 General criminal law	42
1.5 Summary	44
2 Choices	45
2.1 Introduction	45
2.2 The problem of choices	46
2.2.1 Choosing boundaries	47
2.2.2 Choosing outcomes	48
2.3 Policing	50
2.3.1 When to police	50
2.3.2 How to police	54
2.4 Prosecuting	56
2.4.1 When to prosecute	57
2.4.2 How to prosecute	61
2.5 Regulating	63
2.6 Summary	66
3 Conduct	67
3.1 Introduction	67
3.2 The problem of conduct	67
3.2.1 Defining conduct	69
3.2.2 Attributing conduct	70
3.3 Responsibility for conduct	73
3.3.1 Intended conduct	75
3.3.2 Voluntary acts	79
3.3.3 Voluntary omissions	81
3.3.4 Voluntary states of affairs	84
3.3.5 Ambiguous conduct	87
3.4 Lack of responsibility for conduct	89
3.4.1 Uncontrolled conduct	90
3.4.2 Impaired conduct	92
3.4.3 Intoxicated conduct	94
3.5 Summary	96
4 Results	98
4.1 Introduction	98
4.2 The problem of results	99
4.2.1 Defining results	99
4.2.2 Attributing results	102
4.3 Responsibility for results	104
4.3.1 Foreseen results	106
4.3.2 Unforeseen results	109
4.3.3 Ambiguous results	112
4.4 Lack of responsibility for results	116
4.4.1 Carelessness	117
4.4.2 Reasonableness	119
4.4.3 Uncontrollable results	122
4.5 Summary	124
5 Circumstances	125
5.1 Introduction	125
5.2 The problem of circumstances	125
5.2.1 Defining circumstances	127
5.2.2 Attributing circumstances	130
5.3 Responsibility for circumstances	132
5.3.1 Intended circumstances	134
5.3.2 Foreseen circumstances	138
5.3.3 Unforeseen circumstances	140
5.3.4 Ambiguous circumstances	144
5.4 Lack of responsibility for circumstances	149
5.4.1 Carelessness	150
5.4.2 Carefulness	154
5.4.3 Uncontrollable circumstances	157
5.5 Summary	159
6 Sentences	161
6.1 Introduction	161
6.2 The problem of sentences	162
6.2.1 Offence factors	162
6.2.2 Offender factors	165
6.3 Assessing offence seriousness	167
6.3.1 Nature of the offence	169
6.3.2 Circumstances of the offence	172
6.3.3 Ambiguous offences	176
6.4 Limits on assessing offence seriousness	181
6.4.1 Discriminatory factors	182
6.4.2 Incriminatory factors	184
6.4.3 Regulatory factors	187
6.5 Summary	190
7 Standards	192
7.1 Introduction	192
7.2 The problem of standards	193
7.2.1 Ambiguous behaviour	194
7.2.2 Ambiguous offenders	198
7.3 Counterfactual standards	201
7.3.1 Dangerous behaviour	203
7.3.2 Dangerous offenders	206
7.4 Moral standards	209
7.4.1 Aberrant behaviour	211
7.4.2 Aberrant offenders	215
7.5 Summary	219
8 Groups	220
8.1 Introduction	220
8.2 The problem of groups	221
8.2.1 Attributed crimes	222
8.2.2 Distributed crimes	226
8.3 Responsibility for others	230
8.3.1 Commissioning conduct	231
8.3.2 Facilitating offending	234
8.3.3 Joining offenders	238
8.4 Lack of responsibility for others	242
8.4.1 Position	242
8.4.2 Opposition	244
8.4.3 Exclusion	247
8.5 Summary	250
9 Failures	251
9.1 Introduction	251
9.2 The problem of failures	252
9.2.1 Failed crimes	252
9.2.2 Criminal failures	255
9.3 Responsibility for failures	258
9.3.1 Intended crimes	259
9.3.2 Individual failures	265
9.3.3 Group failures	269
9.4 Lack of responsibility for failures	271
9.4.1 Futile failures	272
9.4.2 Fickle failures	274
9.4.3 Feeble failures	276
9.5 Summary	278
10 Exceptions	280
10.1 Introduction	280
10.2 The problem of exceptions	281
10.2.1 Developing exceptions	282
10.2.2 Applying exceptions	284
10.3 Exceptions from responsibility	287
10.3.1 Lawful crimes	290
10.3.2 Reasonable crimes	294
10.3.3 Ambiguous exceptions	299
10.4 Lack of exceptions from responsibility	304
10.4.1 Careless crimes	305
10.4.2 Careful crimes	309
10.4.3 Complete crimes	311
10.5 Summary	313
11 Victims	314
11.1 Introduction	314
11.2 The problem of victims	314
11.2.1 Victims as prosecutors	316
11.2.2 Victims as defendants	320
11.3 Victims and offences	323
11.3.1 Targeted victims	324
11.3.2 Willing victims	328
11.3.3 Ambiguous victims	333
11.4 Victims and responsibility	336
11.4.1 Careless victims	337
11.4.2 Careful victims	340
11.5 Summary	343
12 States	344
12.1 Introduction	344
12.2 The problem of states	344
12.2.1 States as defendants	345
12.2.2 States as victims	349
12.3 States and offences	353
12.3.1 Willing states	354
12.3.2 Targeted states	358
12.3.3 Ambiguous states	361
12.4 States and responsibility	365
12.4.1 Careful states	365
12.4.2 Careless states	370
12.5 Summary	375
Appendix – Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), Schedule, Chapter 2	376
Index	401