FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about General Criminal Defences
Quiz about General Criminal Defences

General Criminal Defences Trivia Quiz


This quiz outlines the general defences availiable if you ever find yourself in court being charged with a crime (whether you did it or not is not for me to judge!). Enjoy!

A multiple-choice quiz by rosah. Estimated time: 5 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. World Trivia
  6. »
  7. The Law
  8. »
  9. U.K. Law

Author
rosah
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
285,470
Updated
Jul 23 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
5 / 10
Plays
703
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. How old can you be at most to plead infancy? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. It is likely that a defendant will be sent to a hospital rather than jail if which defence succeeds? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. When the crime was committed due to an involuntary act, usually a reflex action, what is the defence known as? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Which defence is useful when the defendant believes that their actions weren't criminal? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Which defence is when the defendant is forced to commit a criminal act because another person is using force against them? For clarity, this does not include self defence which has a similar definition

Answer: (One Word)
Question 6 of 10
6. Which defence has parallels with the specific defence of provocation for murder?

Answer: (Two Words - no hyphen)
Question 7 of 10
7. What is the date of the Criminal Law Act, which shows that the force used for self defence has to be 'reasonable in the circumstances'? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Which of the following is demonstrated by using the case of R v Latimer (1886)? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. What defence is normally used when the effect of drugs and/or alcohol caused the defendent to commit the offence?

Answer: (One Word)
Question 10 of 10
10. Which of the following is a limited defence which involves the wife showing that she was forced to commit the offence by her husband? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. How old can you be at most to plead infancy?

Answer: 10

Doli Incapax, meaning not capable of a crime, accompanies the defence of infancy when anybody under the age of 10 cannot be found guilty of a crime. Even if there is evidence of an actus reas and mens rea, a child under the age of 10 will not be found guilty, according to the Children and Young Persons Act 1963. Section 31 of the Children Act 1989, however, states that although the child may not be convicted of the crime, they may be sent to a community home which may be regarded as punishment.
2. It is likely that a defendant will be sent to a hospital rather than jail if which defence succeeds?

Answer: Insanity

Under the Mental Health Act 1983 the defendant will be brought to trial when they are fit to do so, if they have been deemed as unfit by the home secretary. The defence of insanity must be supported by two medical officers and is likely to result in detainment. Section 4 of the Criminal Procedure (Insanity) Act 1964 bases this decision of whether the defendant understands the charge(s) against them, understands the difference between guilty and not guilty, their ability to follow evidence and their ability to challenge the jury.
3. When the crime was committed due to an involuntary act, usually a reflex action, what is the defence known as?

Answer: Automatism

Automatism is when the defendant committed the act because of an involuntary action which they had no control over. Examples of acceptable involuntary actions are a reflex action, such as sneezing, a blackout and sleepwalking. There will be no defence if the defendant was able to take reasonable steps to prevent the involuntary action (for example does not take the required medication). Cases that are useful when describing automatism are R v Bailey (1983) when the defendant had diabetes, and R v Quick (1973) when a nurse suffering from hypoglycaemia committed ABH on a severely disabled patient.
4. Which defence is useful when the defendant believes that their actions weren't criminal?

Answer: Mistake

When mistake is used, the defence doesn't have to be reasonable but does need to be honest. An example of when mistake could be used if somebody takes another person's coat because it is identical to their own. In R v Williams (1984) the defendant saw the victim dragging a youth along the pavement and hitting him.

The defendant genuinely believed that the youth was being assaulted when they were actually being arrested. Ignorance is not a reasonable defence and thinking the victim said yes when they said no in cases concerning rape is not classed as mistake.
5. Which defence is when the defendant is forced to commit a criminal act because another person is using force against them? For clarity, this does not include self defence which has a similar definition

Answer: duress

Duress by threats is a defence used when the defendant was forced to commit a criminal act due to the threat or use of violence against them. This threat has to be of an extreme nature, such as a threat of death or serious harm against the defendant or their immediate family.

The leading case for this is AG v Whelan (1934). There is also a defence of duress by circumstance (or necessity), the key case for this being R v Willer (1986).
6. Which defence has parallels with the specific defence of provocation for murder?

Answer: self defence

Self defence is usually used for offences against the person, although it can be used for any criminal offence. It can be used if the action was to prevent an attack on themselves, to prevent an attack on another person, and/or to prevent a crime from being committed. R v Martin shows this defence, when a farmer heard the sound of intruders and shot into the dark.

He shot a teenager in the back and killed him. He lived on a secluded farm and had had numerous break-ins in the past.
7. What is the date of the Criminal Law Act, which shows that the force used for self defence has to be 'reasonable in the circumstances'?

Answer: 1967

The Criminal Law Act 1967, under section 3, states that any force used by the defendant for self defence has to be 'reasonable in the circumstances'. For example, if the defendant was pushed by the victim, he cannot turn around with a gun and shoot them.
8. Which of the following is demonstrated by using the case of R v Latimer (1886)?

Answer: Transferred malice

R v Latimer (1886) demonstrates how transferred malice can be used in conjunction with mistake. Another example of transferred malice could be that the defendant went to shoot the victim dead but only injured him instead. Due to this injury, the defendant died due to another cause. If the defendant can still be directly linked to the death, they can be found guilty.
9. What defence is normally used when the effect of drugs and/or alcohol caused the defendent to commit the offence?

Answer: intoxication

Intoxication is not particularly a defence but can show how there was an absence of a mens rea (or specific intent). Intoxication is basically a state of mind which can be obtained by the use of substances like drugs or alcohol.
10. Which of the following is a limited defence which involves the wife showing that she was forced to commit the offence by her husband?

Answer: Marital coercion

Marital coercion is a limited defence to use and cannot be used for murder. The wife must show that she committed the offence in the presence of her husband and that he coerced her into doing so.
Source: Author rosah

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor trident before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
3/28/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us