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CRW2601
EXAM PACK
DISTINCTION QUALITY
UNISA EXAM
,CRW2601 EXAM 2026
Read the following facts then choose the correct option below: X is trimming a
tree situated between his garden and that of his neighbour (Y) with a
chainsaw. While standing on a ladder to cut the top branches, a strong gust of
wind causes the ladder to wobble and tip over. X falls down and accidentally
damages his neighbour's fence with the chainsaw. X is charged with malicious
injury to the property of Y. X may invoke the defence
A. that he had no intention to damage Y's property.
B. that he did not perform a voluntary act.
C. that his act was not unlawful but caused by natural forces (the wind).
D. that there was a mechanical failure of his chainsaw’s safety feature which
should have caused it to immediately stop working in cases of uncontrolled
activation.
Read the following facts and then choose the best option below: In a very
secluded area, X rapes Y and stabs her in the stomach with a knife. Y is
seriously wounded and will die if she does not receive medical treatment
within 30 minutes. Z appears on the scene, and shoots Y in the head. Y dies
instantly. X is:
A. not the factual cause of Y’s death because Z’s shot was the immediate cause
of Y’s death.
B. the legal cause of Y’s death because of the presence of a novus actus
interveniens.
C. the factual cause of Y’s death because of the presence of a novus actus
interveniens.
D. both the factual and the legal cause of Y’s death.
Which one of the following statements is correct?
A. For X to succeed with the defence of impossibility, he only needs to prove that
the legal provision that is infringed placed a positive duty on him and that he
was not responsible for the situation of impossibility.
B. In Henry 1999 (1) SACR 13 (SCA), the court held that if X relies on the
defence of sane automatism, the onus of proving that the act was performed
voluntarily rests on the state but X must also provide a basis for his defence.
C. In Goliath 1972 (3) SA (A), the court held that the accused acted under
absolute force which constitutes a complete defence to a charge of murder.
, D. In Minister van Polisie v Ewels 1975 (3) SA 590 (A), the court held that the
legal duty to act positively is determined by the legal convictions of the
community and not because a person is the incumbent of a certain office.
Read the following facts then choose the correct option: X shoots Y. Believing
Y to be dead, X buries Y’s body. However, Y is still alive and dies because of
asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen. X will:
A. not be convicted of Y's murder as he had no intention of killing Y by way of
asphyxiation.
B. not be convicted of Y's murder as there is no causal connection between X’s
initial act of shooting Y and Y’s eventual death because of asphyxiation.
C. be convicted of Y's murder as his initial act of shooting Y complies with the
definitional elements of the crime of murder.
D. be convicted of Y's murder as his acts of shooting and burying Y amount to a
single course of conduct.
In which one of the following acts may X be punished for his conduct in terms
of criminal law?
A. Whilst driving, X, an 80-year-old man has a sudden stroke. He thereafter
loses control of his motor vehicle and hits and injures a pedestrian.
B. Z, who is much bigger and stronger than X, grabs X's hand in which she is
holding a knife, and presses it, with the blade pointing downward, into Y's
chest, resulting in Y's death.
C. X, a person who suffers from low blood sugar, swings his hand while having a
seizure and hits Y in the face.
D. X throws his pet snake on his neighbour Y whom he dislikes. X knows that the
snake is very aggressive and bites easily. The snake bites and seriously
injures Y.
Read the following facts then choose the correct option below: In January
2024, X is charged with the crime of malicious damage to property which he
allegedly committed in September 2022. Assume that in 2022 legislation
provided that a first offender could not be sent to prison for a conviction of
malicious damage to property. However, in 2023, the legislature amended the
, legislation, giving the courts a discretion to send a first offender convicted of
this offence to prison for a period not exceeding six months. X, a first offender,
is convicted of the crime of malicious damage to property. The court, relying
on the new legislation, sentences him to a period of three months’
imprisonment. The punishment imposed by the court may be challenged on
the ground that it violates:
A. the ius praevium principle.
B. the ius certum principle.
C. the ius strictum principle.
D. the ius acceptum principle.
Read the following facts then choose the correct option below: To impress her
friends, X, an 11-year-old girl, steals the newest smart phone from a shop and
is caught by the mall security officers. Can X be criminally prosecuted for the
theft of the smart phone?
A. No, because X is presumed to lack criminal capacity.
B. Yes, because X committed an unlawful act intentionally.
C. No, because X is irrebuttably presumed to lack criminal capacity.
D. Yes, if the state can prove beyond reasonable doubt that X committed the
crime.
Read the following facts then choose the correct option below: While at a
party, X, who is under the influence of alcohol, shoves Y quite aggressively.
Y’s head hits a wall resulting in a huge wound on his head. Z, who has
witnessed the scene, decides to help Y by taking him to the hospital for
stitches. Z also had too much to drink so while driving, his judgement is
severely impaired. Z weaves the car through oncoming traffic with total
disregard for the safety of others. Y notices this and is scared for his life. Y
opens the door of Z’s car and jumps out. He is hit by another car and suffers
serious head injuries which results in his death.
A. X is the factual cause of Y’s death because if he did not shove Y, Y would not
have been in the motor vehicle in the first place.
CRW2601
EXAM PACK
DISTINCTION QUALITY
UNISA EXAM
,CRW2601 EXAM 2026
Read the following facts then choose the correct option below: X is trimming a
tree situated between his garden and that of his neighbour (Y) with a
chainsaw. While standing on a ladder to cut the top branches, a strong gust of
wind causes the ladder to wobble and tip over. X falls down and accidentally
damages his neighbour's fence with the chainsaw. X is charged with malicious
injury to the property of Y. X may invoke the defence
A. that he had no intention to damage Y's property.
B. that he did not perform a voluntary act.
C. that his act was not unlawful but caused by natural forces (the wind).
D. that there was a mechanical failure of his chainsaw’s safety feature which
should have caused it to immediately stop working in cases of uncontrolled
activation.
Read the following facts and then choose the best option below: In a very
secluded area, X rapes Y and stabs her in the stomach with a knife. Y is
seriously wounded and will die if she does not receive medical treatment
within 30 minutes. Z appears on the scene, and shoots Y in the head. Y dies
instantly. X is:
A. not the factual cause of Y’s death because Z’s shot was the immediate cause
of Y’s death.
B. the legal cause of Y’s death because of the presence of a novus actus
interveniens.
C. the factual cause of Y’s death because of the presence of a novus actus
interveniens.
D. both the factual and the legal cause of Y’s death.
Which one of the following statements is correct?
A. For X to succeed with the defence of impossibility, he only needs to prove that
the legal provision that is infringed placed a positive duty on him and that he
was not responsible for the situation of impossibility.
B. In Henry 1999 (1) SACR 13 (SCA), the court held that if X relies on the
defence of sane automatism, the onus of proving that the act was performed
voluntarily rests on the state but X must also provide a basis for his defence.
C. In Goliath 1972 (3) SA (A), the court held that the accused acted under
absolute force which constitutes a complete defence to a charge of murder.
, D. In Minister van Polisie v Ewels 1975 (3) SA 590 (A), the court held that the
legal duty to act positively is determined by the legal convictions of the
community and not because a person is the incumbent of a certain office.
Read the following facts then choose the correct option: X shoots Y. Believing
Y to be dead, X buries Y’s body. However, Y is still alive and dies because of
asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen. X will:
A. not be convicted of Y's murder as he had no intention of killing Y by way of
asphyxiation.
B. not be convicted of Y's murder as there is no causal connection between X’s
initial act of shooting Y and Y’s eventual death because of asphyxiation.
C. be convicted of Y's murder as his initial act of shooting Y complies with the
definitional elements of the crime of murder.
D. be convicted of Y's murder as his acts of shooting and burying Y amount to a
single course of conduct.
In which one of the following acts may X be punished for his conduct in terms
of criminal law?
A. Whilst driving, X, an 80-year-old man has a sudden stroke. He thereafter
loses control of his motor vehicle and hits and injures a pedestrian.
B. Z, who is much bigger and stronger than X, grabs X's hand in which she is
holding a knife, and presses it, with the blade pointing downward, into Y's
chest, resulting in Y's death.
C. X, a person who suffers from low blood sugar, swings his hand while having a
seizure and hits Y in the face.
D. X throws his pet snake on his neighbour Y whom he dislikes. X knows that the
snake is very aggressive and bites easily. The snake bites and seriously
injures Y.
Read the following facts then choose the correct option below: In January
2024, X is charged with the crime of malicious damage to property which he
allegedly committed in September 2022. Assume that in 2022 legislation
provided that a first offender could not be sent to prison for a conviction of
malicious damage to property. However, in 2023, the legislature amended the
, legislation, giving the courts a discretion to send a first offender convicted of
this offence to prison for a period not exceeding six months. X, a first offender,
is convicted of the crime of malicious damage to property. The court, relying
on the new legislation, sentences him to a period of three months’
imprisonment. The punishment imposed by the court may be challenged on
the ground that it violates:
A. the ius praevium principle.
B. the ius certum principle.
C. the ius strictum principle.
D. the ius acceptum principle.
Read the following facts then choose the correct option below: To impress her
friends, X, an 11-year-old girl, steals the newest smart phone from a shop and
is caught by the mall security officers. Can X be criminally prosecuted for the
theft of the smart phone?
A. No, because X is presumed to lack criminal capacity.
B. Yes, because X committed an unlawful act intentionally.
C. No, because X is irrebuttably presumed to lack criminal capacity.
D. Yes, if the state can prove beyond reasonable doubt that X committed the
crime.
Read the following facts then choose the correct option below: While at a
party, X, who is under the influence of alcohol, shoves Y quite aggressively.
Y’s head hits a wall resulting in a huge wound on his head. Z, who has
witnessed the scene, decides to help Y by taking him to the hospital for
stitches. Z also had too much to drink so while driving, his judgement is
severely impaired. Z weaves the car through oncoming traffic with total
disregard for the safety of others. Y notices this and is scared for his life. Y
opens the door of Z’s car and jumps out. He is hit by another car and suffers
serious head injuries which results in his death.
A. X is the factual cause of Y’s death because if he did not shove Y, Y would not
have been in the motor vehicle in the first place.
