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"[there's no doubt that] he committed the crime. And, in that case, our legal system says you should find the defendant guilty" And what legal system is that?
by latch 15y ago
"[there's no doubt that] he committed the crime. And, in that case, our legal system says you should find the defendant guilty"
And what legal system is that? Grade 11 law class: both actus reas and mens rea are fundamental (and equally important) elements of guilt.
- sukuriant 15y agoFor the others that didn't know what "actus reas" and "mens rea" mean: actus rea: the actual guilty act mens rea: the guilty mind. (knowing they did something wrong, I suppose?) I used Wikipedia for the citation. A useful quote from the Actus reus article to help expound on what I think latch was saying: "The terms actus reus and mens rea developed in English Law, are derived from the principle stated by Edward Coke, namely, actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea,[1] which means: "an act does not make a person guilty unless (their) mind is also guilty"; hence, the general test of guilt is one that requires proof of fault, culpability or blameworthiness both in behaviour and mind." (Actus Reus. Wikipedia. Entymology Section)