A stabbing victim refused a lifesaving blood transfusion because of her religious beliefs, and the man who attacked her argued that her decision, not his actions, caused her death. This Casefiles entry explores R v Blaue (1975) and the criminal law principles of causation, responsibility, and the “thin skull rule.”

A son poisoned his mother intending to kill her, only for the court to discover she died from something entirely different. This Casefiles entry explores R v White (1910) and the criminal law principle of causation, asking whether bad intentions alone are enough for murder.

Can a person legally consent to being harmed? This Casefiles entry examines R v Brown (1993), the controversial English criminal law case that tested the limits of consent, bodily autonomy, and the state’s role in regulating private conduct.