Speeding Offences

Duress involves circumstances where you have been forced to commit a crime against your will, whether it be by way of threat, intimidation, or some other form of coercion. The threat must be so serious that it would have caused an ordinary person of like firmness in your situation to act in the same way. Furthermore, the threat must be the operative cause of your actions. In other words, if you are not worried about the threat at the time of the commission of the offence, or some other factor influences your decision to commit the crime, duress may not be established. Finally, the threat must be continuing. What this means is that if there is an opportunity at some point for you to obviate the threat, by reporting it to the police for example, duress may not be accepted.  

Once duress is raised, the onus lies with the Prosecution to negative duress beyond reasonable doubt. In other words, it is encumbent upon the Prosecution to eliminate any reasonable possibility that you were acting in duress. In considering this question, the evidence should be taken at its highest in favour of the accused. It is not essential that there be evidence from you as to your beliefs and perceptions, but it must be raised fairly on the evidence. 

For necessity to be established, the following must exist at the time of the commission of the offence: 

• You acted only to avoid serious, irreversible consequences to yourself or someone you were obligated to protect; 
• You honestly and reasonably believed that you were in a situation of immediate peril; and  
• Your actions were reasonable and proportionate to the situation. 

As is the case with self-defence, the onus lies with the Prosecution to negative necessity beyond reasonable doubt. In other words, it is incumbent upon the Prosecution to eliminate any reasonable possibility that you were acting out of necessity. In considering this question, the evidence should be taken at its highest in favour of the accused. It is not essential that there be evidence from you as to your beliefs and perceptions, but it must be raised fairly on the evidence. 

It may be that you were genuinely mistaken about the speed limit because there was incorrect signage, or perhaps the police radar was inaccurate.