| 释义 |
aid and abet
To assist in the performance of a crime either before or during (but not after) its commission. Aiding usually refers to material assistance (e.g. providing the tools for the crime), and abetting to lesser assistance (e.g. acting as a look-out or driving a car to the scene of the crime). Aiders and abettors are liable to be tried as accessories. Mere presence at the scene of a crime is not aiding and abetting (R v Allan [1965] 1 QB 130: here the defendant passively watched a fight but there was no evidence to show that his mere presence offered encouragement). The prosecution must prove that the defendant had knowledge that he was assisting the principal in the commission of the crime. See also impeding apprehension or prosecution. |