| 释义 |
homicide
n. The killing of one human being by another. In English law there is no crime called homicide: what the law does is single out certain homicides that are considered to be unlawful or unjustifiable or inexcusable and make a crime of these. Crimes of unlawful homicide include murder, manslaughter, and infanticide. Homicide can only be committed if the victim is an independent human being (AG’s Reference (No 3 of 1994) [1997] 3 All ER 936) and the act itself causes the death (see causation). A British citizen may be tried for unlawful homicide committed anywhere in the world. Lawful homicide (sometimes termed justifiable homicide) occurs when somebody uses reasonable force in preventing a crime or arresting an offender, in self-defence or defence of others, or (possibly) in defence of his property, and causes death as a result. See also excusable homicide. |