PUB2 111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Mens Rea, Jaguar, Willful Blindness

• School: McGill University
• Department: Public Law 2
• Course: PUB2 111
• Professor: Maxime Hebrard

Document Summary

Last week we looked at gestures/ acts that constitute a criminal offence. This (cid:272)ase (cid:449)as(cid:374)"t a(cid:271)out (cid:373)o(cid:396)al i(cid:374)(cid:374)o(cid:272)e(cid:374)(cid:272)e fo(cid:396) mo(cid:396)elli; the issue (cid:449)as(cid:374)"t a(cid:271)out the a(cid:272)(cid:272)used. This te(cid:374)sio(cid:374), (cid:449)hat is/ is(cid:374)"t a (cid:272)(cid:396)i(cid:373)e, is a (cid:272)o(cid:374)siste(cid:374)t the(cid:373)e. toda(cid:455), (cid:449)e a(cid:396)e (cid:374)ot e(cid:454)a(cid:373)i(cid:374)i(cid:374)g the a(cid:272)t/ (cid:449)hat is do(cid:374)e (cid:271)ut rather the mind of the accused. The twin pillars on which a conviction is based is (1) an act and (2) a culpable mind. The(cid:396)e a(cid:396)e lati(cid:374) e(cid:454)p(cid:396)essio(cid:374)s su(cid:272)h as (cid:862)a(cid:374) a(cid:272)t (cid:449)ithout a guilt(cid:455) (cid:373)i(cid:374)d is(cid:374)"t a (cid:272)(cid:396)i(cid:373)e(cid:863). We tend to think of crimes in terms of the act itself but criminal law is more interested in the mind (than the fulfilment of the act). This will eventually lead us to discussions on attempts. Attempts are a recognition in law whereby we punish a guilty mind. A bad thought alone does not trigger criminality. We ha(cid:448)e to ig(cid:374)o(cid:396)e a(cid:374)d fo(cid:396)get a(cid:374)(cid:455) (cid:272)i(cid:448)il la(cid:449) app(cid:396)oa(cid:272)h to (cid:272)(cid:396)i(cid:373)i(cid:374)al la(cid:449).