facilitation

[Baker, John]

        Here's the definition from Black's Law Dictionary (8th ed. 2004):  "The act or an instance of aiding or helping; esp., in criminal law, the act of making it easier for another person to commit a crime."  Some states make facilitation a crime (well, all do, really, but they don't all call it that), with various degrees according to the facilitator's level of culpability.  In other states, the facilitator may be charged with aiding and abetting, or as an accessory or accomplice to the crime.

John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On Behalf
Of Orin Hargraves
Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2004 9:35 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: facilitation


This isn't strictly an American dialect question but I know there are some
Brit and some legal minds on the list, so I'll give it a try: a BBC news story
today

(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lancashire/3854207.stm)

notes that some individuals have been charged with "conspiracy to commit
facilitation" in the recent deaths of some cocklers trapped by the rising tide
in Morecambe Bay.

(1) What is "facilitation"?
(2) Is it a new designation in English law? I don't find it treated in
dictionaries.
(3) What's the US equivalent, if there is one?

Many thanks,

Orin Hargraves