CRIM 131 Lecture Notes - Actus Reus, Inheritance, Public Law

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Criminology
• Course: CRIM 131
• Professor: Barry Cartwright

Document Summary

We are expected to obey the law and allow legal system to punish offenders. Legal system must be fair and impartial. Only elected officials get to decide what is against the law. Laws must be written clearly so that people can understand it. Law must be applied equally to everybody. Penalty for breaking the law must be defined in advance. General and specific deterrence (or prevention of crime) Government prosecutes case, court decides on behalf of victim what sort of punishment should be imposed. Legal action brought by private person, if action or suit is successful, usual result is financial compensation/ damages. Actus reus = a real event, in which somebody has committed or failed to commit an act. Mens rea = criminal intent, must have the intent to commit the act. Must be contrary to a provision of criminal law. Crime and deviance are distinct terms, but tend to overlap. Some criminal may not be seen as deviant.