R v Banks

JurisdictionEngland & Wales
CourtCourt of Appeal
Judgment Date1911
Year1911
Date1911
[COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEAL] THE KING v. BANKS. 1916 July 4. RIDLEY, AVORY, and ATKIN, JJ.

Criminal Law - Carnal Knowledge of Girl between Thirteen and Sixteen Years of Age - “Reasonable cause to believe” Girl Sixteen Years of Age - Duty of Counsel in Conduct of Prosecution - Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c. 69), s. 5.

By s. 5, sub-s. 1, of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1885, any person who unlawfully carnally knows any girl of or above the age of thirteen and under the age of sixteen years is guilty of a misdemeanour. By sub-s. 2 it is provided that it shall be a sufficient defence to a charge under sub-s. 1 that the person so charged had reasonable cause to believe that the girl was of or above the age of sixteen years:—

Held, that in order to constitute a defence under sub-s. 2 the person charged must have reasonable cause to believe, and must in fact believe, that the girl was at least sixteen years of age.

Observations as to the duty of counsel for the prosecution at a criminal trial.

APPEAL by the prisoner against his conviction.

The prisoner was convicted on June 9, 1916, before Bray J. at the Worcester Assizes of having unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl of the age of fourteen years. At the trial the prisoner, who gave evidence, did not dispute that he had had connection with the girl, the only defence being that he “had reasonable cause to believe that the girl was of or above the age of sixteen years” within the meaning of s. 5, sub-s. 2, of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1885.F1 He said that he had no idea that the girl was under the age of sixteen and that he did not think about her age at all, but that she had the appearance of a girl of...

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55 cases
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    • Ireland
    • Supreme Court
    • 8 March 2006
    ...OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS APPLICANT -v- D. O. RESPONDENT COURTS OF JUSTICE ACT 1924 S29 R v PUDDICK 1865 4 F&F 497 1865 176 ER 662 R v BANKS 1916 2 KB 621 1916 12 CAR 74 BOUCHER v QUEEN 1954 110 CAN CC 263 1955 SCR 16 (CAN SC) CODE OF CONDUCT OF THE BAR OF IRELAND PARA 9.19 RANDALL v QUEEN 200......
  • Siddiqui v Swain
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    • Divisional Court
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  • Toronto (City) v. Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 79 et al., (2003) 311 N.R. 201 (SCC)
    • Canada
    • Supreme Court (Canada)
    • 6 November 2003
    ...282 N.R. 1; 201 N.S.R.(2d) 63; 629 A.P.R. 63, refd to. [para. 31]. Lemay v. R., [1952] 1 S.C.R. 232, refd to. [para. 31]. R. v. Banks, [1916] 2 K.B. 621 (Eng. C.A.), refd to. [para. 31]. R. v. Wilson, [1983] 2 S.C.R. 594; 51 N.R. 321; 26 Man.R.(2d) 194, consd. [para. 33]. R. v. Sarson (J.A.......
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3 books & journal articles
  • Reflections on prosecutorial independence and impartiality in South Africa : the recent jurisprudence of the courts
    • South Africa
    • Sabinet Southern African Public Law No. 35-2, July 2020
    • 1 July 2020
    ...See, for example, R v H [2004] 1 All ER 1269 (HL); Randall v The Queen [2002] 1 WLR 2237 (PC); R v Puddick (1865) 4 F & F 497; R v Banks [1916] 2 KB 621; Libke v R (2007) 235 ALR 517; Whitehorn v The Queen (1983) 152 CLR 657 (HCA); and DO v DPP [2006] IESC 12. 73 S v Van der Westhuizen 2011......
  • Legal Practitioner
    • Nigeria
    • DSC Publications Online Sasegbon's Laws of Nigeria. Volume 15 Legal Practitioner
    • 10 July 2016
    ...but as ministers of justice, and their task is not to secure convictions, but to help in the administration of justice. See R. v. Banks (1916) 2 K.B. 621.” – Per Craig, J.S.C. in Akilu v.Fawehinmi (No.2) Suit No. S.C. 215/88; (1989) 2 N.W.L.R. (Pt.102) 122 at 207; (1989) 20 N.S.S.C. (Pt. I)......
  • Divisional Court
    • United Kingdom
    • Sage Journal of Criminal Law, The No. 53-2, May 1989
    • 1 May 1989
    ...necessitates only the establishment ofthat cause objectively, and is independent of any actual subjectivebelief. Thus, in R. v. Banks [1916] 2 K.B. 621, and R. v. Harrison[1938]3 AllE.R.134., the Court of Criminal Appeal held thatthe words "had reasonable cause to believe" in section 5(1) o......