Law Information - Murder / Manslaughter Offences - SA

Murder

Date: 09/01/2009

The Law - TBA

The Maximum Penalty for Murder

Murder carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

It also amounts to murder where a person commits an intentional act of violence while acting in the course of or furtherance of a major indictable offence punishable by imprisonment for 10 years or more (other than abortion) and thereby causes the death of another.  

What the prosecution must prove - Murder

For murder, the court has to establish:  

• That the victim has actually died 

• That the defendant's act has contributed significantly towards the death — it does not have to be the sole cause, or even the main cause of death 

• that the defendant intended to kill the victim; or that the defendant intended to inflict Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH); or that the defendant knew or knew that it was probable his or her act would cause death or GBH

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Possible Defences - Murder

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The Court process - Murder

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