In Brief: Mens Rea / Actus Reus

OJEN In Brief resources are designed to provide high school students with an introduction to basic legal concepts. Each resource includes a short lesson plan for the teacher; a 1-4 page plain language description of the legal topic; and activities that provide students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge of the topic.

Generally speaking, for a person to be found guilty of a criminal offence he or she must have committed an illegal act (actus reus) and had the required state of mind (mens rea) for the criminal offence. The Crown must prove both elements of the offence, the actus reus and the mens rea, beyond a reasonable doubt.