Mens rea

As mens rea ( Latin for guilty mind '; mentally element or fault element ) is called in the criminal law of England and Wales a precondition of criminal liability. As a positive precondition of criminal liability (as opposed to the defenses ), he describes all the internal components of crime, in contrast to the actus reus: " Actus non facit reum, nisi mens sit rea". The possible internal components of criminality are: intention, knowledge, wilfulness, maliciousness, recklessness or lack motivation. In cases of strict liability is mens rea not required.