JURIDICAL DEFINITION OF CRIME:
A crime is any action prohibited by law
The juridical definition explains crime as an illegal action committed
by an individual who can both be blamed and punished by the
authorities.
CRIME CONSIST OF SPECIFIC ELEMENTS
The Actus Reus (guilty action) : The physical element of crime – can
be the f a failure to do something or doing something.
M Mens Rea ( guilty mind ) : Intent – the mental decision to do
s something. A mental decision must be followed by an action for it to be
seen as a crime
THUS : ACTUS REUS + MENS REA
Have to occur together to form the body of crime.
CRIME CAN BE DEVIDED INTO 2 CATEGORIES:
1. Common Law crime:
Crime such as murder/theft and robbery that have not been siderite
crime of centuries. ( Rome Dutch Law )
2. Statutory crime:
Crime that have been recorded in statutes
Ex: to drive under the influence of alcohol