OCR AS Level Law: Criminal Law Overview

Introduction to OCR AS Level Law

• OCR AS Level Law covers key areas of English legal systems, including criminal law, contract law, and tort law.
• It examines legal principles, procedures, and how they apply in practice.

Criminal Law

• Components of a Crime:
  • Actus Reus (guilty act):
    • Voluntary action or omission.
    • Causation (the act must cause the harm).
    • Circumstances (e.g., "with intent", "recklessly").
  • Mens Rea (guilty mind):
    • Intention, recklessness, negligence, knowledge, dishonesty.
    • Different levels of mens rea apply to different offences. (e.g., murder requires intention, whereas manslaughter can be through recklessness)
• Types of offences:
  • Indictable offences (serious).
  • Summary offences (less serious).
  • Offences against the person (murder, manslaughter, assault, battery).
  • Offences against property (theft, robbery, burglary).
  • Strict liability offences (a crime that does not require proof of mens rea).
• Defences:
  • Self-defence, duress, insanity, automatism, mistake (some specific defences can apply to specific crimes).
• Criminal Procedure:
  • The role of the police.
  • The role of the courts (magistrates' courts, crown court).
  • Pre-trial stages (arrest, charge, bail).
  • Trial process (evidence, witnesses, juries).
  • Sentencing principles (punishments).
• Sources of Criminal Law:
  • Statutory law (Acts of Parliament).
  • Common law (judicial precedent).
  • European Union law (some influence).

Contract Law

• Formation of a Contract:
  • Offer and acceptance.
  • Intention to create legal relations.
  • Consideration.
  • Capacity to contract.
• Terms of a Contract:
  • Express terms (explicitly stated).
  • Implied terms (not explicitly stated, but implied by custom or law).
  • Conditions (important terms).
  • Warranties (less important terms).
• Breach of Contract:
  • Remedies for breach (damages, specific performance, injunction).
• Types of Contracts:
  • Bilateral contracts (both parties have obligations).
  • Unilateral contracts (one party is obligated).
  • Executory contracts (promises made in the future).
• Discharge of a Contract:
  • Performance.
  • Agreement.
  • Breach.
  • Frustration.
• Illegality: Understanding when a contract is void as against public policy.
• Misrepresentation:
  • Fraudulent, negligent, innocent.
  • Effect on contract validity.

Tort Law

• Negligence:
  • Duty of care.
  • Breach of duty.
  • Causation (link between breach and harm).
  • Remoteness of damage.
  • Defences to negligence.
• Nuisance:
  • Public nuisance (affecting a wider community).
  • Private nuisance (someone's enjoyment of their property).
• Defamation:
  • Libel (written).
  • Slander (oral).
  • Defences to defamation.
• Trespass:
  • Trespass to land.
  • Trespass to the person.
• Other Torts: Strict liability torts (e.g., product liability).
• Vicarious Liability:
  • When one person is responsible for the torts of another.

Constitutional Law (brief overview)

• Fundamental concepts concerning the UK constitution.
• Sources of the UK Constitution (Acts of Parliament, common law, and conventions).
• Role of Key Institutions (Parliament, executive, and judiciary).

Evidence

• Principles of admissibility of evidence.
• Weight of evidence.
• Different types of evidence.

This quiz covers the essential components of criminal law within the OCR AS Level Law curriculum. It explores the principles of Actus Reus and Mens Rea, types of offences, and their applications. Test your knowledge of legal definitions and concepts that form the backbone of criminal law.