MURDER

• unlawful killing of a reasonable person in being under the king's peace with malice aforethought, either expressed or implied
• lawful - police, armed forces, medical profession
• actus reus - causing the death
• actus reus - act or omission
• act or omission - Gibbons and Proctor
• D's conduct must be factual + legal cause of the death - 'but for test'
• factual causation - Pagett
• legal caustaion - White
• legal causation established if D's actions are more than minimal
• if there is a a new intervening act - courts must see if it breaks chain
• thin skull rule + medical negligence doesn't normally break chain
• Jordon - medical treatment was so bad that chain was broken, D was liable
• victims own reaction is a NIA
• NIA - reasonable reaction - doesnt break chain - Roberts
• NIA - unreasonable reaction - Williams and Davies
• courts must decide when life begins
• life begins - expelled from womens womb and have independent existence
• MR - intention to kill
• MR - indirect/direct
• MR - test is virtually certain - Woolin
• MR - intention to cause gbh - Vickers