Attempts & Accomplices

Attempts & Accomplices – Criminal Law Flowchart

Master the complexities of inchoate crimes and secondary participation in English & Welsh criminal law with this essential visual guide.
This Attempts and Accomplices Flowchart breaks down the legal structure of attempts under the Criminal Attempts Act 1981 and accomplice liability under the Accessories and Abettors Act 1861. Perfect for law students, legal professionals, and educators, this chart visually guides you through actus reus, mens rea, impossibility, conditional intent, and procurement principles.

📘 Key Topics Covered:

• Attempts (Inchoate Crimes) – Actus reus ("more than merely preparatory"), mens rea (specific intent), impossibility under s1(2) & s1(3) CAA 1981 (R v Shivpuri), and key case law (R v Gullefer, R v Whybrow)

• Accomplice Liability (Secondary Participation) – Aiding, abetting, counselling, procuring (s8 Accessories and Abettors Act 1861), presence at the scene, omissions, and joint enterprise (R v Clarkson, R v Gnango)

• Mental Elements of Accomplices – Knowledge of circumstances, conditional intent, stricter mens rea requirements for accomplices than principals

• Withdrawal from Joint Enterprise – Legal requirements to successfully abandon a common purpose (R v Grundy, R v Becerra)

• Clarifies principal offenders, innocent agents, and the boundaries of complicity

• Covers parasitic accessory liability (Jogee doctrine)

✅ Perfect For:

• Law students preparing for criminal law exams (LLB, SQE, GDL, A-level)

• Tutors and lecturers simplifying joint enterprise and attempt liability

• Legal professionals & paralegals needing quick-reference visuals

• Anyone handling problem questions on complicity and inchoate offences