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30 May 2008
Issue: 7323 / Categories: Case law , Law digest
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Criminal Law

R v Raphael and another [2008] EWCA Crim 1014, [2008] All ER (D) 159 (May)

The defendants took the victim’s car by force and demanded payment for its return.

HELD The express language of s 6(1) of the Theft Act 1968 specifies that the subjective element necessary to establish the mens rea for theft includes an intention on the part of the taker “to treat the thing as his own to dispose of regardless of the other’s rights”.

This includes the situation where the defendant makes an offer to sell the loser’s own property back to him, and to make its return subject to a condition or conditions inconsistent with his right to possession of his own property.
 

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ Career Profile: John McElroy, London Solicitors Litigation Association

NLJ Career Profile: John McElroy, London Solicitors Litigation Association

From first-generation student to trailblazing president of the London Solicitors Litigation Association, John McElroy of Fieldfisher reflects on resilience, identity and the power of bringing your whole self to the law

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Planning and environment team expands with partner hire in Manchester

Birketts—Barbara Hamilton-Bruce

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Firm appoints chief operating officer to strengthen leadership team

NEWS
A landmark Supreme Court ruling has underscored the sweeping reach of UK sanctions. In NLJ this week, Brónagh Adams and Harriet Campbell of Penningtons Manches Cooper say the regime is a ‘blunt instrument’ requiring only a factual, not causal, link to restricted goods
Fraud claims are surging, with England and Wales increasingly the forum of choice for global disputes. Writing in NLJ this week, Jon Felce of Cooke, Young & Keidan reports claims have risen sharply, with fraud now a major share of litigation and costing billions worldwide
Litigators digesting Mazur are being urged to tighten oversight and compliance. In his latest 'Insider' column for NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School provides a cut out and keep guide to the ruling’s core test: whether an unauthorised individual is ‘in truth acting on behalf of the authorised individual’
Conflicting county court rulings have left landlords uncertain over whether they can force entry after tenants refuse access. In this week's NLJ, Edward Blakeney and Ashpen Rajah of Falcon Chambers outline a split: some judges permit it under CPR 70.2A, others insist only Parliament can authorise such powers
A wave of scandals has reignited debate over misconduct in public office, criticised as unclear and inconsistently applied. Writing in NLJ this week, Alice Lepeuple of WilmerHale says the offence’s ‘vagueness, overbreadth & inconsistent deployment’ have undermined confidence
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