11. Inchoate crime

Abstract

Inchoate offences include attempts, conspiracies, and assisting and encouraging under the Serious Crime Act 2007. Creating inchoate offences is difficult because the conduct involved will tend to be far removed from the type of harm necessary to charge a person under the relevant substantive offence. The actus reus of inchoate offences can encompass a wide range of behaviour, such as ‘an agreement’ in conspiracy or mere words of encouragement in assisting and encouraging. Given the broad nature of the actus reus, inchoates must be kept within reasonable limits by requirements of serious mens rea. This chapter deals with inchoate offences and considers the limits on liability for attempts of conspiracy and other secondary liability. It also discusses jurisdictional issues, common law conspiracies, procedural issues relating to conspiracies, encouragement and assistance under the Serious Crime Act 2007, and the impossibility of committing an inchoate crime.