ABSTRACT
Answer plan The principal issues are: • the effect of mistakes negativing mens rea; • the inconsistent treatment of mistakes relevant to defences; • mistakes induced by voluntary intoxication; • mistakes resulting from ‘a defect of reason caused by a disease of the mind’; and • mistakes of law. The principal authorities are: DPP v Morgan (1976); Williams (1983); Howe (1987); DPP v Majewski (1977); M’Naghten (1843).
