Mistake (criminal Law)
A mistake of fact may sometimes mean, that while a person has committed the physical element of an offence, because they were labouring under a mistake of fact, they never formed the required mens rea, and so will escape liability for offences that require mens rea. This is unlike a mistake of law, which is not usually a defense.
Read more about Mistake (criminal Law): Discussion, Honestly Held But Unreasonable Beliefs, England and Wales
Famous quotes containing the word mistake:
“Do you mistake me?
I am speaking of living,
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—Denise Levertov (b. 1923)