Paper 1B Omissions (A02)

Welcome to LawBank! In this video, we delve into the concept of omissions in criminal law, focusing on Actus Reus—the physical component of a crime, which can be an action or a failure to act.

We break down the general rule that there is no criminal liability for failing to act unless it falls under specific exceptions. These exceptions include voluntarily undertaking responsibility, parental duty, setting in motion a dangerous chain of events, contractual obligations, public duties, and statutory duties.

Key cases such as R v. Stone and Dobinson, R v. Gibbons and Proctor, R v. Miller, DPP v. Santa-Bermudez (2004), and R v. Evans (2009) are discussed to illustrate how these legal principles apply in real-life scenarios.

We also cover statutory duties under the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, while highlighting the distinction between what is immoral and what is illegal.

This video is especially relevant for students preparing for the OCR A-Level Law examination (H418), using the 2023 teacher guide. It's important to note that The LawBank is not formally affiliated with OCR.

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