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Criminal Law & Justice vocabulary · Elements of Crime & Liability

Actus reus

Meaning in criminal law & justice, with examples

/ˌæktəs ˈreɪəs/nounCommon term

In criminal law & justice, actus reus means: A Latin term meaning 'guilty act': the physical part of a crime, such as an action, a failure to act or a result that the law forbids.

In Turkish: maddi unsur, suçun maddi unsuru, suç teşkil eden fiil

How it is used

Used together with 'mens rea' in textbooks, exams and judgments: 'the actus reus of theft is appropriating property belonging to another'. Students analyse a problem by asking whether the defendant 'committed the actus reus' and whether it happened at the same time as the mens rea.

Example sentences

  1. Failing to feed a child can be the actus reus of some offences.

  2. The court found that the actus reus was complete when he took the money.

Common collocations

  • commit the actus reus
  • actus reus and mens rea
  • the actus reus of theft
  • elements of the offence
  • mens reaA Latin term meaning 'guilty mind': the mental element of a crime, such as intention, knowledge or recklessness, which the prosecution must prove.
  • attemptThe crime of trying to commit an offence and taking real steps towards it, even though the offence is not completed.
  • criminal liabilityLegal responsibility for a crime, which means that a person can be prosecuted and punished for it.
  • offenceA formal word for an illegal act that the law punishes, from minor ones such as speeding to serious ones such as robbery.

More terms: Elements of Crime & Liability

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.