Common Law Rules
To make law school more confusing for 1Ls, Criminal Law is divided into two jurisdiction categories: MPC-based jurisdictions (more on this in a minute) and Common Law based jurisdictions.
I highly (HIGHLY) suggest separating these in your mind and notes right from the get-go because you will need to know both come exam time, and it can be very conf.
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Different Than Tv??
Unlike many other 1L courses like Torts, most incoming 1Ls have had the most exposure to Criminal Law and feel the most comfortable with this subject.
Why is this.
Well, many legal dramas revolve around crime and the legal system (think Law & Order, any detective show, etc.).
However, the “criminal law” you see on TV versus the Criminal Law you wil.
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Formations of An Offense
Other than the MPC/Common Law distinction, Criminal Law is broken into two sections: “General” formations of an offense and “Specific offenses.” The general formations of an offense focuses on what makes up a crime and defenses.
For Common Law, in order to commit a crime, you must have the Actus Reus element (the physical act-Willed muscular contra.
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How do you answer a criminal law question?
Criminal law is a very technical subject, and answers can appear muddled if they are not properly planned and structured.
The general structure of actus reus, mens rea, and defences should be adopted.
For problem questions, focus on the issues straight away, and apply the law to the facts given throughout, using relevant authorities.
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Specific Offenses
The final part of Criminal Law focuses on specific offenses, their elements, and defenses thereof.
For these, the professor chooses which crimes to focus on since there is “so much crime and so little time” (Yes, this is what my professor said all the time.) In my class, we focused on murder, manslaughter, felony murder, and rape.
Each class is dif.
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The Good, The Bad, and The MPC
The other side of Criminal Law is based on the MPC.
In 1962, a group of Criminal Law scholars came together to create the “MPC” or the Model Penal Code.
This is a code that formulates all offenses, elements, defenses, and information on crimes in a concise, organized manner.
The intention was to consolidate the authority on Criminal Law so that dec.
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What are the characteristics of criminal law?
Whilst there are distinct crimes to study, all crimes will share common features such as:
actus reus mens rea and the defences.
Furthermore, the criminal law necessarily deals with issues of morality.
It is political and policy- driven, which means that the cases sometimes contain contradictory decisions. ,
What topics are included in a criminal law exam?
Criminal Law Exam Notes - Topic 1:
General Principles Sources of Criminal Law - Common Law o Many - StuDocu Concise and comprehensive notes for open book exam topic general principles sources of criminal law common law many offences are not actually in legislation but Sign inRegister . 