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Impossibility defense

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Country 1. The actor believed that her act was a crime, and even fully intended to commit a crime. However, Country 1 does not, in fact, ban lace from Country 2. The traditional approach to understanding the legal impossibility defense is that the mistake (about the content of the law of Country 1) insulates the actor from a conviction for the crime of attempted smuggling. The
172:(1953), the defendant shot a stuffed deer, thinking it was alive, and was convicted for attempt to kill a protected animal out of season. In a highly debated reversal, an appellate judge threw out the conviction on the basis of legal impossibility, concluding that it is not a crime to shoot a stuffed deer out of season. 135:
of the crime (because they had not actually brought a banned substance into the country). To put it another way, merely trying to commit a crime is insufficient to constitute a criminal attempt; for criminal liability to attach, the actor must be attempting to engage in behaviour that is actually
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or statutory crime. The underlying rationale is that attempting to do what is not a crime is not attempting to commit a crime. One example of legal impossibility is a person who, thinking that Country 1 has banned the importation of lace from Country 2, attempts to smuggle some "banned" lace into
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impossibility involves an error as to factual reality (the state of the world) that causes the actor to fail to commit a criminal offence when, if the circumstances were as the actor believed, the offence would have been committed.
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for shooting at a hole in the roof, believing his victim to be there, and indeed, where his victim had been only moments before but was not at the time of the shooting. Another case involving the defense of factual impossibility is
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An act that is considered legally impossible to commit is traditionally considered a valid defense for a person who was being prosecuted for a criminal attempt. An attempt is considered to be a
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Kayla Barkase and David Macallister, "Impossibility in the Law of Criminal Attempt: A Comparison of Canada, Australia and New Zealand" (2014) 14 Oxford University Commwealth Law Journal
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a drunken, unconscious woman were guilty of attempted rape, even though the woman was actually dead at the time sexual intercourse took place.
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Nicola Monaghan. "Impossibility". Criminal Law Directions. Fourth Edition. Oxford University Press. 2016. Chapter 15.5.3. Pages
271: 52:. This is not to be confused with a "mistake of fact" defense, which may be a defense to a specific intent crime like larceny. 480:
David D Friedman, "Impossibility, Subjective Probability, and Punishment for Attempts" (1991) 20 The Journal of Legal Studies
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An impossibility occurs when, at the time of the attempt, the facts make the intended crime impossible to commit although the
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E M Burchell and P M A Hunt. South African Criminal Law and Procedure. Third Edition, by J M Burchell. Juta & Co. 1997.
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impossibility when the defendant has completed all of his intended acts, but his acts fail to fulfil all the required in
22: 493:"Impossibility and inchoate crimes - Another hook in a red herring" in "Case and Comment" New Zealand Law Journal 426 499:"Impossibility and inchoate offences". Simester and Sullivan’s Criminal Law: Theory and Doctrine. Section 9.5. Pages 552: 242:"Once More unto the Breach:The Inherent Liberalism of the Criminal Law and Liability for Attempting the Impossible" 462:
Hellmut A Erwing, "Impossibility as a Defense to Criminal Attempt" in "Notes" (1963) 17 Southwestern Law Journal
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J S Strahorn, "The Effect of Impossibility on Criminal Attempts" (1930) 78 University of Pennsylvania Law Review
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In Japan, the corresponding category is "不能犯". A commonly used example is when someone attempts murder with
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Jerome B Elkind, "Impossibility in Criminal Attempts: A Theorist's Headache" (1968) 54 Virginia Law Review
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was charged and convicted of fraud, despite the fact that a fictitious name was used to catch him. In
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This article is about the criminal defense. For the excuse for non-performance of a contract, see
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John J Yeager, "Effect of Impossibility on Criminal Attempt" (1943) 31 Kentucky Law Journal
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R S Clark, "The Defence of Impossibility and Offences of Strict Liability" (1968 to 1969)
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Richard M. Bonnie; Anne M. Coughlin; John C. Jefferies, Jr.; Peter W. Low (1997).
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Jonathan Burchell and John Milton. "Impossibility". Principles of Criminal Law.
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impossibility involves an error as to a legal reality (the state of the law).
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C L Ryan and G P Scanlan, "Attempted Impossibility - Dead or Alive" (1983)
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Desmond O'Connor and Paul A. Fairall. "Impossibility". Criminal Defences.
247:. George Mason University School of Law - Hastings Law Journal. p. 13 104:. This would be a case of 不能犯, and does not constitute attempted murder. 457: 41: 129:
may be thought of as reflecting that the actor had not satisfied the
70:, 95 Cal. 666, 30 P. 800 (1892), the defendant was found guilty for 158:
However, it is not always easy to identify whether an actor made a
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to commit. Factual impossibility is rarely an adequate defense at
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Criminal defense often used as a crime cannot be committed at all
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R A Duff. "Impossible Attempts". Criminal Attempts. 1997.
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that failed only because the crime was factually or
433:. Juta & Co. 1997. Chapter 16. Page 175 to 177. 219:. Westbury, NY: The Foundation Press. p. 251. 426:. Butterworths. 1996. Chapter 7. Pages 117 to 148. 399:"Attempt -Impossibility Unavailable as a Defense" 146:which is not generally a defense at common law. 64:is unaware of this when the attempt is made. In 91:the court held that men who believed they were 490:The Law Society's Gazette 1902 (27 July 1983) 276:. Oxford University Press. pp. 149–151. 8: 265: 263: 261: 513:Blackstone's Criminal Practice 2012. Pages 210: 208: 206: 345:. Vol. 第1巻. 松華堂書店. pp. 133–142. 202: 534:New Zealand Recent Law 82 (April 1983) 7: 14: 341:飯塚, 敏夫 (1934). "第六 丑の刻詣りと不能犯學說". 440:. Chapter 10. Page 105 et seq. 1: 401:. Oklahoma Jury Instructions 23:Impossibility of performance 270:George P. Fletcher (2000). 574: 142:can be distinguished from 40:is accused of a criminal 20: 329:13 U.S.C.M.A. 278 36:occasionally used when a 368:(4): 101–127 (107–111). 524:Criminal Law Quarterly 323:United States v. Thomas 309:167 A. 344, 348 304:Commonwealth v. Johnson 273:Rethinking Criminal Law 88:United States v. Thomas 78:Commonwealth v. Johnson 144:factual impossibility, 56:Factual impossibility 30:impossibility defense 311: (Pa. 1933). 240:John Hasnas (2002). 140:Legal impossibility 127:legal impossibility 108:Legal impossibility 517:, 99, 103 and 107. 447:. Pages 76 to 115. 101:Ushi no toki mairi 67:People v. Lee Kong 46:legally impossible 553:Criminal defenses 183:People v. Dlugash 565: 410: 409: 407: 406: 395: 389: 388: 386: 385: 376:. Archived from 353: 347: 346: 338: 332: 326: 318: 312: 306: 300: 294: 293: 291: 290: 267: 256: 255: 253: 252: 246: 237: 231: 230: 212: 72:attempted murder 34:criminal defense 573: 572: 568: 567: 566: 564: 563: 562: 538: 537: 419: 414: 413: 404: 402: 397: 396: 392: 383: 381: 356:沢登, 佳人 (1998). 355: 354: 350: 340: 339: 335: 320: 319: 315: 302: 301: 297: 288: 286: 284: 269: 268: 259: 250: 248: 244: 239: 238: 234: 227: 214: 213: 204: 199: 190:DPP v Armstrong 178: 169:State v. Guffey 110: 58: 26: 17: 12: 11: 5: 571: 569: 561: 560: 555: 550: 540: 539: 536: 535: 528: 518: 511: 504: 497: 491: 484: 478: 472: 466: 460: 454: 448: 441: 434: 431:Second Edition 427: 418: 415: 412: 411: 390: 348: 333: 313: 295: 282: 257: 232: 225: 201: 200: 198: 195: 194: 193: 186: 177: 174: 109: 106: 83:psychic healer 57: 54: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 570: 559: 556: 554: 551: 549: 546: 545: 543: 533: 529: 527: 523: 519: 516: 512: 509: 505: 502: 498: 496: 492: 489: 485: 483: 479: 477: 473: 471: 467: 465: 461: 459: 455: 453: 449: 446: 442: 439: 435: 432: 428: 425: 424:Third Edition 421: 420: 416: 400: 394: 391: 380:on 2014-04-27 379: 375: 371: 367: 363: 359: 352: 349: 344: 337: 334: 330: 325: 324: 317: 314: 310: 305: 299: 296: 285: 283:9780195136951 279: 275: 274: 266: 264: 262: 258: 243: 236: 233: 228: 226:1-56662-448-7 222: 218: 211: 209: 207: 203: 196: 192: 191: 187: 185: 184: 180: 179: 175: 173: 171: 170: 166:mistake. In 165: 161: 156: 154: 149: 145: 141: 137: 134: 133: 128: 123: 119: 115: 107: 105: 103: 102: 96: 94: 90: 89: 84: 81:, in which a 80: 79: 73: 69: 68: 63: 55: 53: 51: 47: 43: 39: 35: 31: 24: 19: 403:. Retrieved 393: 382:. Retrieved 378:the original 365: 361: 351: 342: 336: 331: (1962). 321: 316: 303: 298: 287:. Retrieved 272: 249:. Retrieved 235: 217:Criminal Law 216: 188: 181: 167: 163: 159: 157: 152: 147: 143: 139: 138: 130: 126: 113: 111: 99: 97: 86: 76: 65: 59: 29: 27: 18: 548:Common law 542:Categories 417:References 405:2008-01-25 384:2014-04-29 289:2008-01-25 251:2008-01-25 136:criminal. 132:actus reus 122:common law 50:common law 445:Chapter 3 374:0286-1577 197:Footnotes 62:defendant 38:defendant 510:and 427. 438:Volume 1 176:See also 118:elements 558:Attempt 503:to 399. 164:factual 148:Factual 42:attempt 495:Google 372:  327:, 307:, 280:  223:  93:raping 245:(PDF) 160:legal 153:Legal 120:in a 114:legal 32:is a 370:ISSN 362:法政理論 343:刑法論攷 278:ISBN 221:ISBN 162:and 526:154 508:426 501:392 482:179 476:153 470:270 464:461 452:962 28:An 544:: 522:11 515:82 488:80 458:20 366:30 364:. 360:. 260:^ 205:^ 532:9 408:. 387:. 292:. 254:. 229:. 25:.

Index

Impossibility of performance
criminal defense
defendant
attempt
legally impossible
common law
defendant
People v. Lee Kong
attempted murder
Commonwealth v. Johnson
psychic healer
United States v. Thomas
raping
Ushi no toki mairi
elements
common law
actus reus
State v. Guffey
People v. Dlugash
DPP v Armstrong



ISBN
1-56662-448-7
"Once More unto the Breach:The Inherent Liberalism of the Criminal Law and Liability for Attempting the Impossible"



Rethinking Criminal Law

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