OMISSIONS

• Omission is the failure to act - this cannot make a person guilty of an offence. However, there are situations where an omission can give rise to liability in criminal law
• 1. an Act of parliament creates an offence involving an omission
  2. a contractual duty exists
  3. a duty exists because of a relationship between the victim and the accused
  4. a duty toward the victim has been taken on voluntarily by the accused
  5. a duty to act arises as a consequence of the accused's official position
  6. a duty to act arises because the defendant has set in motion a chain of events