(Latin, “guilty act”) The wrongful deed that comprises the physical components of a crime and that generally must be coupled with mens rea
Actus reus (/ˈæktəs ˈreɪəs/), sometimes called the external element or the objective element of a crime, is the Law Latin term for the "guilty act" which, when proved beyond a reasonable doubt in combination with the mens rea ("guilty mind"), produces criminal liability in the common law−based criminal law jurisdictions of England and Wales, Canada, Australia, India, Kenya, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, New Zealand, Scotland, Nigeria, Ghana, Ireland, Israel and the United States of America. In the United States, some crimes also require proof of attendant circumstances and/or proof of a required result directly caused by the actus reus.
English
Etymology
From Late Latin āctus reus (“guilty act”), from Latin āctus (“act”) + reus (“guilty”
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