Introduction

This introduction presents the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses primarily on the first of these: liability incurred through participation or, as it is termed in Scotland, art and part liability. Indeed, a Bill has recently been introduced in the Irish Parliament with the aim of imposing a legal duty to report such conduct to the police, even where the information has been obtained under the seal of the confessional. The book examines how the criminal law of Ireland, both North and South, imposes liability in this situation to parties other than the actual wrongdoer. William Wilson, in, 'Participating in Crime: Some Thoughts on the Retribution/Prevention Dichotomy in Preparation for Crime and How to Deal with It', identifies and considers questions arising from the current law on attempts.