The chapter of the textbook mentioned in the assignment describes the crime of conspiracy. Three conditions must apply for the individual to be found guilty of conspiracy. Firstly, the person must have reached an arrangement with one or more other people (Brown et al., 2020). Secondly, the person and at least one other group of people in the arrangement must have aimed that a crime would be perpetrated as stated in their agreement. Thirdly, the person or at least one other group of people in the arrangement must have engaged in an occurrence of an event that had been determined by the agreement. A person cannot be convicted of conspiracy to commit a crime if, before executing a planned violation of law following the agreement, the individual decided to withdraw from the arrangement. Moreover, if the person took all reasonable attempts to stop this offense from being committed, they would not be found guilty.
Next, the chapter describes the law case of O’Brien. The man was convicted of the crime of conspiracy, which was confirmed by the court through evidence (Brown et al., 2020). Namely, O’Brian had several friends and acquaintances who were somewhat connected to the Irish nationalist movement. One such person was Lennon who had recently been imprisoned and taken to Winston Green Prison. Markedly, Lennon and some unknown people had conspired with O’Brien so that he would help him escape from the prison. O’Brien was seen near Winston Green Prison’s walls, photographing the vulnerable parts; moreover, some items connected to the prison were also found at O’Brien’s such as maps of the nearby roads. The man tried to deny his guilt but was convicted because he participated in a planned infringement of the law and made actions that contributed to the agreement’s commitment. The case’s significance lies in its demonstration of the conspiracy laws applied, exemplifying a situation when agreement rather than direct participation with law violators leads to a criminal offense.
Reference List
Brown, D. et al. (2020). Criminal laws: Materials and commentary on criminal law and process in New South Wales. 7th ed. Alexandria: Federation Press.