SOC 1500 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Actus Reus, Speed Limit Enforcement, Mens Rea
1 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
SOC 1500
SEPT 7
Why study crime and criminal justice?
• Real effects
o Health, safety, sense of well being
• Damage to central institution
o Family (primary agent of socialization), workplace, schools
• Policy
o Created out of response to crime
▪ New laws
▪ Societal need
Crime and Laws
• Rules about behaviour
o Formalized rules (laws)
• Public and private (civil)
• Laws: tools of promoting good behaviour
o Only when people know they will be enforced
▪ E.g. Speeding (when you know there is a speed trap)
o Loose effectiveness over time for not being enforced
What is Crime?
• a at of oissio that is prohiited y riial law
o Actus reus: act of doing something
o Mens rea: guilty intent
• E.g. a man shoots another man in the forest
• Commit an act
• Guilty intention of doing something
• Cannot have defense or justification for doing it
Has to violate a law
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Why study crime and criminal justice: real effects, health, safety, sense of well being, damage to central institution, family (primary agent of socialization), workplace, schools, policy, created out of response to crime, new laws, societal need. Crime and laws: rules about behaviour, formalized rules (laws, public and private (civil) Laws: tools of promoting good behaviour: only when people know they will be enforced, e. g. Speeding (when you know there is a speed trap: loose effectiveness over time for not being enforced.
