Attempt, conspiracy and encouraging or assisting crime — the offences that impose liability for steps taken towards a crime that is never completed.
Criminal liability does not wait for harm to be done: the law intervenes once a defendant has gone far enough towards an offence. This chapter opens with the nature of inchoate liability and how it differs from being an accessory, before examining attempt — the 'more than merely preparatory' threshold, the intent required, and the special position of attempted murder. It then deals with whether impossibility or withdrawal can defeat a charge, the agreement at the heart of statutory conspiracy and when it is complete, and the three offences of encouraging or assisting crime under the Serious Crime Act 2007 with their statutory defences. It closes with the rules on charging attempts as alternatives, merger with the completed offence, and maximum sentences.
