The Importance Of Mens Rea In Establishing Criminal Liability Vis-a-vis The Rationale For Strict Liability Offences

ABSTRACT “Mens Rea”, the mental element of an offence can be in the form of intention, recklessness, knowledge and in some instances, negligence or any other state of mind prescribed by the law creating an offence. Developed and integrated into the English criminal law around the twelfth century to the thirteenth century when it was fully integrated into the English criminal law, it has alongside actus reus (physical element), concurrence and causation become an integral part of the law in establishing criminal liability of an accused charged with an offence. This work examines the import…