OmissionMeansAFailureToAct
Definition:
Accordingtooxfordlawdictionarythewordomissionmeans:afailuretoact'thatmeans
whenapersonisboundtodooractbutheomitstodothatordeliberatelyneglectsit,it's
calledomission.
Asummaryofcriminallawonomissions:adefendantisonlyguiltyofacrimewhen
failingtoact,[Link][2008]CriminalLaw,
text,cases,andmaterial.
Forexampleifapersonpassingbyapoolsawachilddrowninginitandthereisnoother
sourcespresenttorescuehimfromdrowningandthatpersonpassesbythatpooland
leavingthechildtodie,hecommitsomission.
Introduction:
Therearegenerallytwokindsofdutieswhichahumanbeinghastowardshisfellowmen,
firstlyheisdutyboundbylawtoactaccordingtolawofthetimeorcurrentstatutein
force,thatiscalledstatutoryduties,failingtothosehecouldbeguiltyofcriminal
[Link]
humanbeing,inthatcaseheisnotdutyboundbylawbutbymoraltraditionsormoral
values,thesedutiesarecalledmoralduties.
Alegalcommonlawdutyisnothingelsethantheenforcingbylawofthatwhichisa
[Link][1893]
Inmajorityofthecriminalcasestherearetwotypesofelementinvolved,firstlyitsmens
reawhichisanintentiontocommitoffenceandit'srelatedtothemindoftheoffender,
secondlythereisactusreawhichalsocalledtheactoftheoffenderwhichisrelatedto
[Link]
actwhichapersonisboundtodooract,inUKlawstherearenospecificlawsdescribed
topunishapersonwhoomittodooromittoactunlessanduntilheisdutyboundtodo
[Link],butgenerallywherethereisa
[Link]
certainpeoplewhoowedutytowardstheotherssuchasmotherorfatherowesaduty
towardstheirchildren,partnerslivingtogetheristhesamedwellingandthedutiesa
[Link]
akindofmoraldutiesbecausethesearenotspecifiedinanylaworstatue.
Asthetimeprogressesstatuesaremakingnewlawsonsuchdutiesforinstancethes.5of
theDomesticViolenceCrimeandVictimsActimposesaspecialkindofdutiesonthe
peopleofthesamedwellingtosafeguardthelifeofachildorvulnerableadultwholives
[Link](Uzma)[Link]
tobeclarifiedasfarasthedutiesareconcerned
Asfarasthecommonlawisconcernedthereisnogeneraldutyorcriminalliabilityfora
failuretoact,butthereareexceptionaldutiesincurreduponthedefendantfailureto
whichheisliabletocriminalprosecution.Forinstanceinsection6(4)oftheRoadand
TrafficAct1988amotoristisliableforcriminalprosecutionifheondemandfailsto
[Link]
punishmentforsuchcrime(omission)[Link]
whereadriverrefusestoprovidehiswareboutstoanofficerwhenhisvehicleisinvolved
inanaccidentorinjuriestosomeperson,heisguiltyofanoffenceunder(s.170(4)of
RoadTrafficAct1988).
Therearefivesituationhighlightedbythestatueswhereapersonisdutyboundtoact
otherwisehemaybecriminallyliableforthat.
[Link] A Duty Arising From A Statue
Whereadefendantwasdutyboundbyaspecificstatueorlawtoactbuthewillinglydoes
[Link].19ofTerrorism
Act2000whereapersonwillfullyconcealorrefusestogiveinformationonthenoticinga
[Link]
[1979]QB722,D,whereamanwastakenoutofabarbyabouncerandwaskickedto
deathinfrontofapoliceconstable,whenthepeoplearoundtheiraskedtheconstablefor
helpingthevictimtheconstablerefusedtodosobysayingthathewasalreadyoffduty.
Theconstablewaschargedwiththeoffenceofmisconductforthenegligencetoperform
[Link]
refusestogivethebreathsampleswhenaskedbyanauthorizedperson;heissurelyliable
ofanoffenceunders.7(6)ofRoadTrafficAct1988.
[Link] A Person Is Bound By A Contract
Apersonisboundtoactaccordingtolawwherehehasgoneunderacontractwithothers.
[Link]
partyunderastatuetoactaccordingtolaw,failingwhichhecouldbecriminallyliableof
[Link](1902)19TLR37wherehewashiredby
therailwaycompanytolookaftertherailwaycrossingandshutthegatewhenthetrain
[Link]
duringthedutyhewentoutandthegateremainedopenwhilethetrainapproachedanda
manwaskilledwhilecrossingthetraintrack,Pettwoodwasprosecutedforgross
negligencemanslaughter.
[Link]
Therearetwotypesofrelationamongthepeopleonisbybloodandtheotherisby
[Link],this
dutyisbothimposedbylawandbymoralityonthem,andthereforetheyareunderaduty
[Link]
andProctor(1918)13CrAppR134,wherebothmanandthewomanwerecharged
guiltyduetostarvingthechildtodeathbystoppingtoprovideitfood,themanwas
chargedbecausehewasunderadutytotakecareofhischildwhilethewifewhotook
moneyfromthefatherofthechildautomaticallyowesadutytowardsthechildtolook
afterit.
[Link]
Ifacoupletakesadutyofcareforachildtolookafterhimandtheyarebeingpaidforit
thatiscalledcontractualdutyontheotherhandwhereacoupleassumeadutyofcare
towardstherevulnerablerelativetheyassumeadutyofvoluntaryresponsibilitytolook
afterhimandtakecareofhim,failingtodosotheymaybechargedforcriminaloffence.
ThisrulewasfollowedinthecaseofStoneandDobinson[1977][Link]
thedefendantwasliableforacriminalgrossnegligencefornottakingcareoftheirinfirm
[Link],hadthedeceasedbeennottheirrelative?The
casesinvolvedassumptionofadutyinrespectofaduty,butthereisnologicalreason
[Link]
Fitzpatrick;CriminalLaw[2009]p31.
[Link]
ForexampleifDishascreatedanunlawfulsituationwithoutanymensreabutstillhe
holdsaresponsibilityforsuchact,hedeliberatelyrefusestoovercomeoraskforanyhelp
togetthesituationoutofdanger,[Link]
followedinthecaseMiller[1983][Link]
house,onenightheaccidentlyforgottounlithiscigarettebeforegoingtodeepsleepand
aftersometimehegotupandrealizedthemattresswasonfire,henevercaredforitand
wenttosleepintheotherroom,thehousecaughtfireandoverallaheavylosswasdone
[Link]
easilycalledforhelponcehegotupandrealizedthathisnegligenceisgoingtobring
somedamagetothehouse.
ShouldOmissionBePunishedOrNo?IfYes,InWhat
Circumstances?
It'sbeenalongdebatebetweentheauthorswhethertheomissionshouldbepunishedby
[Link]
[Link]'snotbeenaneasytasktotalkonsuchacomplicatedissueoflaw.
Authorswhosupporttheideaofpenalizingomissionsuggestthatthereshouldbeaclear
linebetweenomission,[Link]
[Link]
vicariousliabilityisagoodexampleofit,whereanemployerofacompanyorfirmis
[Link]
casesofabetmentwhereapersonwhoabetsthecrimeisliableforthecommissionofthe
crimeoftheother.
AndrewAshworthisastrongsupporterofthepunishmentfortheomissionbutatthe
[Link]
twodifferentviewsonomission,firstlytheconventionalview,wherehesuggeststhat
criminallawshouldnotpunishpeopleunlessanduntilinclearandseriouscases.
Secondly,thesocialresponsibilityview,whereheisoftheviewthattherearetimesand
situationswherepeoplehelponeanotherandfurthersaysthatindividualsneedothers,
andpeoplelivinginthesamesocietydoesowesomedutiestootherslivingwiththem.
Furtherhedescribesthreemoredutiesonthebasisofsocialresponsibility,thedutyto
assistthoseinperil,thedutytotakereasonablestepstowardslawenforcement,andthe
dutytoensurethehealthandwelfareofone'schildren.
SimilarlyWilliamWilsonisoftheviewthatwhatismorallyworse/causally
moresignificant:shootingachildtopreventtheagonyofherburningto
deathinaflaminginfernooneispowerlesstoprevent,orfailingtosavea
himfromasimilarfatebythesimplemechanismofunlockingthedoor
behindwhichsheistrapped?'[Link][2003]CriminalLaw.
Allofthecurrentauthorswhosupportthetheoryofpunishingomissionsare
agreedonthepointthatthereshouldbecertaincircumstancewhereaperson
shouldensurehissafetyfirstbeforehelpingothers;heshouldnotputhisown
[Link]
[Link]
therecentcasesandsomeofthepreviousthatmurderandmanslaughtercan
[Link][2009]CA,
[Link]
defendantwastheelderhalfsisterofthevictimwhomshesuppliedthedose
ofheroinwhichcausedthedeathofthevictim,themotherofthevictimwas
alsopresentthereatthattime,whenboththedefendantrealizedthatthe
victimwasunconscioustheyinsteadofcallingformedicalassistancewento
[Link]
defendantwaschargedforfouryearinprisonandhermotherwasfortwo.
Thequestionwasraisedwhetherthedefendantowedadutyunderthose
circumstancesaftershesuppliedherointothevictim?Itwasheldyes'that
thedefendantowedadutyofcareinthosecircumstances.
Asfarasauthorswhosupportomissionnottobepenalizedtheyclaimthatit
[Link]
[Link],1980
arguesthatwhenapersonwalkpassbyachildwhoisdrowninginapool
shouldhebeliableforthedeathofthatchild?Usingbutfor'causationhe
canbearguedthathadthedefendantnotbeentherethechildwouldstillhave
[Link]
[Link]
senseanddoesnotneedanystatueorpunishmentforit,andomissioncannot
commitaresult,andunlessanduntiladutytoactisnotthere,the
commissionofomissionisoutofquestion.
[Link],but
[Link]
[Link],someoneacts;butifthereisanomission,everyone
(inasense)[Link].
[Link]
[1978]TextBookofCriminalLaw,p.148149.
Thecentrepointisthatthereshouldbeastatutoryduty,forwhichoneis
liableforpunishment,isverymuchdifficulttopunishonefornotcompiling
withthemoralduties,becausemoraldutiesareallwasexceptional.
Everybodyinthesocietyisfreetopracticehisownwillswithinalimit.
[Link]'sscopeofliabilityforomissioninaway
thatthecourtsmustbveryclearindecidingthesecases,anditshouldbe
[Link]
omissionsandsayingthat,Itisextraordinarytoproposethatthecriminal
liabilityofomittersshouldbemademorestringentthanthecriminalliability
ofdoers;andIhavecriticizedtheproposalonthisground.'[Link],
(1991)107LQR86.
Conclusion
Ithasbeenprovedbythecasesandrecentverdictsofthecourtsthatomission
insomecircumstancecanleadtosomeseriouscrimes,likemurderand
[Link]
grossnegligenceanditneedstobebroughtinacircleofstatueandthere
[Link]
canonlybemadepossiblemakingclearandboldlawswherefailingtoact
[Link]
thecasesrelatingtocloserelationthereshouldbealinedrawnbetweenwho
owesdutiestowardswhom?Itwouldbeverymuchdifficulttopunishallthe
bystanderswhowatchedachilddrowning,sothecriteriaofpunishingthe
[Link]
[Link]
andeverycasethepunishmentfortheomissionshouldbedealtwithoutmost
care.