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Different types of assault

  • 31-12-2008 12:49AM
    #1
    Alice1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,684 ✭✭✭


    Hi,
    Can someone please tell me what is the difference between "common assault" "criminal assault" etc? (I have trawled through the Non Fatal Offences Acts to the best of my ability but couldn't quite find what I wanted).

    Many Thanks
    Ali


Comments

  • #2
    johnnyskeleton
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 14,568 Mod ✭✭✭✭johnnyskeleton


    Assault in civil law is old and you wont find it defined in any statute. Civil law assault is the threat of violence rather than the actual use of violence (which in civil law is battery).

    Common assault is a term used to describe assault contrary to section 2 of the non fatal offences act. It is a criminal offence. You can read the definition there but it is quite expansive and goes beyond just hitting someone. Essentially it is when you intentionally or recklessly cause an impact on the body of another. People say "Common" assault to distinguish it from the more serious types of assault which are assault causing harm (s.3) and the s.4 offence of causing serious harm.

    Harm is hard to describe but generally a injury that requires medical treatment and heals between a week and a year or two is harm (anything permanent or seriously debilitating is serious harm).


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