Legal Definitions - art and part

Definition: Art and part is a legal term used in English and Scots law to describe aiding or contributing to the commission of a crime. It refers to the act of assisting, advising, or participating in a crime, which makes the person guilty of the crime.

Examples:

• The lookout was involved in the burglary on an art-and-part basis.
• The baker acted art and part in the prisoner's escape by producing a cake with a file in it.

These examples illustrate how a person can be guilty of a crime even if they did not commit the crime themselves. In the first example, the lookout helped the burglars by keeping watch while they committed the crime. In the second example, the baker provided the means for the prisoner to escape, making them guilty of the crime.

It is important to note that in Scots law, there is no distinction between degrees of participation in a crime. All participants are treated as principal offenders, and indictments charge the accused as "actor or art and part." This means that anyone who aids or contributes to a crime is equally guilty of the crime.