Manslaughter

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1963

Principle established: A judge is not bound to put manslaughter to assessors where the evidence does not support it, and the mere withdrawal of affection does not constitute legal provocation.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 2020

Principle established: A trial judge is not bound to put manslaughter to assessors absent evidence legally amounting to provocation, and a partner withdrawing affection does not constitute legal provocation.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1963

Principle established: A judge need not direct assessors on manslaughter where there is no evidence to support it, and the withdrawal of romantic affection does not amount to provocation in law.

Sierra Leone — Supreme Court · 1963

Principle established: A trial judge need not leave manslaughter to assessors absent evidence supporting it, and the withdrawal of affection does not constitute legal provocation.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1963

Principle established: A judge directing assessors on motor vehicle manslaughter sufficiently complies with law where the direction on dangerous driving and negligence adequately conveys the requisite standard.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1963

Principle established: A summing-up on manslaughter from driving that explains dangerous driving as degrees of negligence does not deprive an accused of an opportunity of acquittal.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 2006

Principle established: An appellate court may quash a conviction and death sentence for murder and substitute a conviction for manslaughter with an appropriate term of imprisonment accounting for custody time.

Sierra Leone — Supreme Court · 1976

Principle established: A trial judge must explain legal definitions such as malice aforethought in simple terms and apply them to the facts rather than merely reproducing textbook definitions.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1976

Principle established: A trial judge must explain legal definitions such as malice aforethought in simple terms and apply them to the facts rather than merely reproducing textbook definitions.

Sierra Leone — African Law Reports · 1964-66

Principle established: Where the defence of provocation reduces a killing from murder to manslaughter, a third party cannot be convicted of aiding and abetting the provoked crime.

Sierra Leone — African Law Reports · 1964-66

Principle established: Criminal negligence grounding a conviction for manslaughter requires a gross disregard for human life and safety amounting to a crime against the state.

Sierra Leone — African Law Reports · 1964-66

Principle established: Criminal negligence sufficient to support a conviction for manslaughter requires conduct going beyond mere civil compensation and showing a reckless disregard for the life and safety of others.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1964

Principle established: Criminal negligence supporting manslaughter requires a gross disregard for the safety of others amounting to a crime against the state.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1964

Principle established: Criminal negligence supporting manslaughter requires a gross disregard for the safety of others amounting to a crime against the state.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1963

Principle established: An intention to inflict grievous bodily harm satisfies the mental element of malice aforethought required for murder.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1963

Principle established: An intention to inflict at least grievous bodily harm upon the deceased suffices to sustain a finding of murder with malice aforethought.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1963

Principle established: Evidence showing an intention to inflict at least grievous bodily harm is sufficient to establish malice aforethought in a murder trial.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1979

Principle established: A trial judge must adequately direct the jury on the legal constituents of reckless driving and the degree of negligence required to constitute the offence.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1979

Principle established: A judge's summing up must include a proper analysis of the evidence and relate it to the applicable law, rather than merely reading out witness testimony and statutory provisions without application.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1963

Principle established: When a person in loco parentis causes death during correction, failure of the judge to instruct the assessors on the law of killing by correction constitutes reversible error.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1962

Principle established: Where evidence reveals provocation, a conviction for murder must be quashed and substituted with manslaughter.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1962

Principle established: Evidence of sudden provocation reduces a murder conviction to manslaughter.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1963

Principle established: When a person in loco parentis causes death during correction, failure of the judge to instruct the assessors on the law of killing by correction constitutes reversible error.

Zimbabwe · 2022

Principle established: The fatal shooting of a spouse with a service firearm, even if claimed to be accidental, requires the court to determine whether the accused acted with murderous intent or negligence.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1979

Principle established: A judge's summing-up on a murder charge must adequately direct the jury on the issue of malice aforethought and alternative verdicts such as manslaughter when defences like self-defence or provocation are rejected.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 2008

Principle established: A murder conviction must be reduced to manslaughter where the trial judge errs by failing to put the defence of provocation fairly to the jury despite evidence of an assault by multiple persons.