What Is A Section 18 Offence

It refers to two offences that are respectively created by sections 18 and 20 of the offences against the person act 1861.

What is a section 18 offence. A jury needs to be satisfied that the offender intended to cause the harm by considering all of the relevant circumstances including what the offender did and what he said about it. For section 18 assault recklessness isn t enough there must be proof of intention. Section 18 can only be tried at crown court so the magistrate will just send the case straight to crown.

The distinction between these two sections is the requirement of specific intent for section 18. Section 20 covers malicious wounding and the malicious infliction of grievous bodily harm. Section 18 assault is an offence described as either wounding with intent or causing grievous bodily harm with intent and is the most serious form of assault save for murder and manslaughter that can be committed while accusing a person of section 20 assault means that the intent behind the wounding or bodily harm committed went no further.

Section 18 the intent offence for the more serious offence intent to cause serious injury or wounding is required. Maliciously causing grievous bodily harm with intent to resist or prevent lawful apprehension etc. The offences under sections 18 and 20 of this act are discussed in detail in the article grievous bodily harm.

Section 18 assault is an indictable offence which may only be tried in the crown court. It is punishable with life imprisonment. That you voluntarily committed an act or made.

The difference between this offence and a section 20 offence as above is that in a section 18 offence the offender must have intended to cause serious bodily harm to the victim. This may be identified by planned or repeated attacks prior threats choosing a particular weapon deliberately or mutilating an object to use it as a weapon. Grievous bodily harm is a term used in english criminal law to describe the severest forms of battery.

Offences committed while under 16 may be ignored though. Section 18 covers malicious wounding and maliciously causing grievous bodily harm when these things are done with intention to do grievous bodily harm or to prevent or resist arrest. 23 49 thu 02nd may 2013.