Actus Reus
The equation for Actus Reus is, Actus Reus, which is a guilty act and must be voluntary. Actus Reus is actually doing the acting, for example stabbing someone. The next part of the equation is plus Mens Rea, this means guilty mind, which means they had to of wanted to stab someone either by Intention, recklessness or malice aforethought. Strict liability can be here instead, this is where committing the offense alone is enough for you to be guilty, for example speeding, it doesn’t matter if you intended to you did it and that’s enough for you to be charged. Absence of defence is next and finally this all equals crime.
Actus Reus + Mens Rea or Strict Liability + Absence of a defence = Crime
There are four ways in which Actus Reus can be committed. The first is “Results crimes are those in which the actus Reus is defined in terms of prohibited consequences irrespective of how these are brought about.” This is where causation takes place and it is the actual consequences that are important where physical act links with consequences and results. The next for cases are example of causation. T R v Smith 1959, a fight broke out in a military barracks and a soldier was stabbed, on the way to the hospital he was dropped twice and the treatment at the hospital was inadequate, he later died, did he die because of the wound or the care he received. The stabbing was seen as the reason he died. R v Malcherek, a Defendant’s actions put him in the hospital and on life support, the time came to switch of the life support, the original action was deemed the reason why the patient died. Next is R v Jordan (RARE), a patient was stabbed and sent to hospital, his wound was healing and everything was going well, a doctor gave him an antibiotic and he died, the doctor was liable for his death. Finally we have R v Blaue where a women was stabbed, doctor said if she had a