the state of mind of a person at the time they commit a criminal offence
In such cases, the mens rea - or mentalstate of the offender at the time he committed the offence - must be proved to be either intent or recklessness.
Synonyms and related words
Foreign legal terms
ab initio
actus reus
a fortiori
mens rea
noun uncountable legal
US /ˌmenz ˈriə/
DEFINITIONS1
1
the state of mind of a person at the time they commit a criminal offense
In such cases, the mens rea - or mentalstate of the offender at the time he committed the offense - must be proven to be either intent or recklessness.