Haughton v Smith
Haughton v Smith was a decision of the highest domestic court of England and Wales, which held that it was impossible to commit the crime of handling stolen goods where they were not stolen. In statutorily overturned law, it was held nor could an offence of attempting to handle them be committed in the same circumstances.Judgement
's statement about the impossibility of crimes still often quoted after a 1981 as regards barring the full-offence charge for completed alleged offences but where the subject matter did not in the event amount to something prohibited:
This case was partially overturned as to inchoate offences which can be prosecuted by the Criminal Attempts Act 1981. There is an in-depth discussion of the law of attempted crimes, in particular the debate about criminal liability in issues of impossible crimes.
