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user35069
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For many criminal law casesoffences, from what I understand, you have to establish 2 aspects: actus reus (the act of crime), and mens rea (the guilty mind). The mens rea can be many things: from as direct as having the intention to commit a crime, to as nuance as being negligent.

However, I wonder what if someone is a victim of blackmail and is forced to commit a crime. The victim knew the law, knew that his/her action is in conflict with the law, hence you can argue that they had the intention. Would a criminal case be applicable?

For many criminal law cases, from what I understand, you have to establish 2 aspects: actus reus (the act of crime), and mens rea (the guilty mind). The mens rea can be many things: from as direct as having the intention to commit a crime, to as nuance as being negligent.

However, I wonder what if someone is a victim of blackmail and is forced to commit a crime. The victim knew the law, knew that his/her action is in conflict with the law, hence you can argue that they had the intention. Would a criminal case be applicable?

For many criminal offences, from what I understand, you have to establish 2 aspects: actus reus (the act of crime), and mens rea (the guilty mind). The mens rea can be many things: from as direct as having the intention to commit a crime, to as nuance as being negligent.

However, I wonder what if someone is a victim of blackmail and is forced to commit a crime. The victim knew the law, knew that his/her action is in conflict with the law, hence you can argue that they had the intention. Would a criminal case be applicable?

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RobertPham
RobertPham
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Can you establish a "guilty mind" if the defendant is a victim of blackmail?

For many criminal law cases, from what I understand, you have to establish 2 aspects: actus reus (the act of crime), and mens rea (the guilty mind). The mens rea can be many things: from as direct as having the intention to commit a crime, to as nuance as being negligent.

However, I wonder what if someone is a victim of blackmail and is forced to commit a crime. The victim knew the law, knew that his/her action is in conflict with the law, hence you can argue that they had the intention. Would a criminal case be applicable?