mens rea

Etymology
From +, from the English common law precept Actus non facit reum nisi mens rea sit ("The act does not make a person guilty unless the mind is also guilty").

Noun

 * 1)  A reactive mind, a conscious knowing by the individual that an act was committed, either by themselves or by another.
 * 2)  A guilty mind, the conscious knowing of a perpetrator while committing an act that the act is illicit.

Usage notes
In common law legal systems (those of England and its former colonies), different jurisdictions make different classifications of degree of guilt (levels of mens rea). In the highest classification, the guilty party intentionally committed the act in full knowledge of its consequences and that it was an offence; lower classifications imply lower degrees of intention (such as intentionally undertaking a course of action of which the offence was a likely result). In cases of strict liability and absolute liability offences, no proof on mens rea is required by the prosecution.

Translations

 * Arabic:
 * Chinese:
 * Mandarin: 犯罪意圖, 犯罪故意, 犯罪心理
 * Finnish:
 * French:
 * Hindi: चोर की दाढ़ी में तिनका
 * Icelandic: brotavilji, vilji til brots
 * Japanese:
 * Persian:
 * Russian:
 * Spanish: mente rea