Coursework.Info - Inspiration in an Instant

On the left is an image preview of every page of this document, and below are the first 150 words with formatting removed:

1. MODES OF PARTICIPATION A) THE PRINCIPAL The principal is the one whose act is the most immediate cause of the actus reus, i.e. the defendant who has actually committed the offence in question. For example, the person who, with mens rea, pulls the trigger of the gun which fires the bullet, which kills the victim, is the principal on a charge of murder. B) JOINT PRINCIPALS It is possible to have more than one principal if more than one person is directly responsible for the actus reus. For example, where two defendants stab the victim to death but it is not clear which one of them dealt the fatal blow, the defendants can simply be charged as joint principals. There are borderline cases where it will not be clear whether the second person was a joint principal or merely assisting. The test in such cases is whether the defendant contributed to the...

Get instant access

• Instant, unlimited access to our documents in full
• Swap your work for free access, or pay £4.99
• To see the full version of this document and 146,871 others

OR

Receive email updates for this category

• Simply tell us your email address and receive a weekly Study Help Email for FREE
• Receive 3 FREE essay views with each email
• Get all the latest essays from Coursework.Info & discussion from TheStudentRoom.co.uk