Unlawful Act Manslaughter

1. Unlawful Act

Landmark case

No unlawful act means no unlawful act manslaughter, even if a death occurred.

It must be an act, not an omission.

It must be a crime, not a civil offence.

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2. Dangerous Act

An act is dangerous if the reasonableness and sober person would have foreseen it created a risk of some physical harm

All that's necessary is the act be dangerous. It is immaterial that the death occurs in a different way than expected, or that it impacts an unintended victim.

The danger must be foreseeable at the time of the act, not in hindsight

Risk of psychological harm or emotional distress is insufficient

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3. Causation

Where D provides V with a drug which V voluntarily injects, D cannot be liable for unlawful act manslaughter.