Actus Reus in United Kingdom

The elements of a crime: actus reus

This section offers a description about the elements of a crime: actus reus in the study of the general principles of Criminal Law.

Definition of Actus Reus

The actus reus consists of more than just an act.

Actus reus in Legal Latin

Meaning of the latin term “Actus reus” from the University of Kent: ‘A guilty act’ – The prohibited conduct or behaviour that the law seeks to prevent. Although commonly

referred to as the ?guilty act? this is rather simplistic, as the actus reus includes all the aspects of the crime

except the accused’s mental state (see mens rea). In most cases the actus reus will simply be an act (e.g.

appropriation of property is the act of theft) accompanied by specified circumstances (e.g. that the property

belongs to another). Sometimes, however, the actus reus may be an omission to act (e.g. failure to prevent

death may be the actus reus of manslaughter: R v Stone and Dobinson [1977] QB 354) or it may include specified consequence (death resulting being the consequence required for the actus reus of murder or

manslaughter). In certain cases the actus reus may simply be a state of affairs rather than an act (Winzar v

Chief Constable of Kent (1983) The Times 28 March 1983).

Resources

See Also

• Legal Latin Maxims
• Legal Latin Quotes
• Legal Latin Dictionary