Study for the Kansas Security Guard Test. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question has hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


The physical acts by which a criminal offence is committed

  1. Mens Rea

  2. Actus Rea

  3. Res Judicata

  4. None of the above

The correct answer is: Actus Rea

"Actus Rea" is Latin for "guilty act". In law, it is one of the elements that needs to be proven for someone to be found guilty of committing a crime. Actus Rea refers to the actual physical actions that constitute the crime. This could be an action (like hitting someone), a lack of action (like not feeding a dependent), or a state of being (like being in possession of stolen property). In contrast, Mens Rea (which is Latin for "guilty mind") refers to the mental state of the individual at the time of the crime, not the physical act itself. It's the intent part of a crime. The other two options, "Res Judicata" (a legal principle stating that a matter already judged cannot be re-litigated) and "None of the above", do not pertain to the physical actions involved in committing an offence. Therefore, "Actus Rea" is the correct response.