11/17/2015 PrintArticle:TheElementsandStagesofaCrime

TheElementsandStagesofaCrime

Source:http://www.legalserviceindia.com
Author:rajibraunak
Publishedon:August05,2012

TheElementsandStagesofaCrime rajibraunak'sProfileand
AnOverview details
Criminallawisabodyofrulesandstatutesthatdefinesconduct Rajib
prohibitedbythestatebecauseitthreatensandharmspublic
safetyandwelfareandthatestablishespunishmenttobeimposed
forthecommissionofsuchacts.Criminallawdiffersfromcivil
law,whoseemphasisismoreondisputeresolutionthanin
punishment.
Hassan,Lecturer,
Thetermcriminallawgenerallyreferstosubstantivecriminal
HaldiaLawCollege,
laws.Substantivecriminallawsdefinecrimesandprescribe
WestBengal
punishments.Incontrast,CriminalProceduredescribesthe
processthroughwhichthecriminallawsareenforced.For
example,thelawprohibitingmurderisasubstantivecriminallaw.Themannerinwhichstate
enforcesthissubstantivelawthroughthegatheringofevidenceandprosecutionis
generallyconsideredaproceduralmatter.

II.History:Thefirstcivilizationsgenerallydidnotdistinguishbetweencivillawandcriminal
law.ThefirstwrittencodesoflawweredesignedbytheSumeriansaround21002050BC.
AnotherimportantearlycodewastheCodeHammurabi,whichformedthecoreofBabylonian
law.Theseearlylegalcodesdidnotseparatepenalandcivillaws.Oftheearlycriminallaws
ofAncientGreeceonlyfragmentssurvive,e.g.thoseofSolonandDraco.

AftertherevivalofRomanlawinthe12thcentury,sixthcenturyRomanclassificationsand
jurisprudenceprovidedthefoundationsofthedistinctionbetweencriminalandcivillawin
Europeanlawfromthenuntilthepresenttime.Thefirstsignsofthemoderndistinction
betweencrimesandcivilmattersemergedduringtheNormaninvasionofEngland.The
specialnotionofcriminalpenalty,atleastconcerningEurope,aroseinSpanishLate
Scolasticism,whenthetheologicalnotionofGod'spenalty(poenaaeterna)thatwasinflicted
solelyforaguiltymind,becametransfusedintocanonlawfirstand,finally,tosecularcriminal
law.Thedevelopmentofthestatedispensingjusticeinacourtclearlyemergedinthe
eighteenthcenturywhenEuropeancountriesbeganmaintainingpoliceservices.Fromthis
point,criminallawhadformalizedthemechanismsforenforcement,whichallowedforits
developmentasadiscernibleentity.

III.DefinitionOfCrime:Manyjuristshavedefinedcrimeintheirownwayssomeofwhich
areasunder:
Blackstonedefinedcrimeasanactcommittedoromittedinviolationofapubliclaweither
forbiddingorcommandingit.
Stephenobservedacrimeisaviolationofarightconsideredinreferencetotheevil
tendencyofsuchviolationasregardsthecommunityatlarge.
OxfordDictionarydefinescrimeasanactpunishablebylawasforbiddenbystatuteor

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11/17/2015 PrintArticle:TheElementsandStagesofaCrime

injurioustothepublicwelfare.

IV.FundamentalElementsOfCrime:Therearefourelementswhichgotoconstitutea
crime,theseare:
Humanbeing
Mensreaorguiltyintention
Actusreusorillegalactoromission
Injurytoanotherhumanbeing

HumanBeingThefirstelementrequiresthatthewrongfulactmustbecommittedbya
humanbeing.Inancienttimes,whencriminallawwaslargelydominatedbytheideaof
retribution,punishmentswereinflictedonanimalsalsofortheinjurycausedbythem,for
example,apigwasburntinParisforhavingdevouredachild,ahorsewaskilledforhaving
kickedaman.Butnow,ifananimalcausesaninjuryweholdnottheanimalliablebutits
ownerliableforsuchinjury.

Sothefirstelementofcrimeisahumanbeingwhomustbeunderthelegalobligationtoact
inaparticularmannerandshouldbeafitsubjectforawardingappropriatepunishment.

Section11oftheIndianPenalCodeprovidesthatwordpersonincludesacompanyor
associationorbodyofpersonswhetherincorporatedornot.Thewordpersonincludes
artificialorjuridicalpersons.

MensReaThesecondimportantessentialelementofacrimeismensreaorevilintentor
guiltymind.Therecanbenocrimeofanynaturewithoutmensreaoranevilmind.Every
crimerequiresamentalelementandthatisconsideredasthefundamentalprincipleofcriminal
liability.Thebasicrequirementoftheprinciplemensreaisthattheaccusedmusthavebeen
awareofthoseelementsinhisactwhichmakethecrimewithwhichheischarged.

Thereisawellknownmaximinthisregard,i.e.actusnonfacitreumnisimenssitreawhich
meansthat,theguiltyintentionandguiltyacttogetherconstituteacrime.Itcomesfromthe
maximthatnopersoncanbepunishedinaproceedingofcriminalnatureunlessitcanbe
showedthathehadaguiltymind.

ActusReus[GuiltyActOrOmission]Thethirdessentialelementofacrimeisactusreus.
Inotherwords,someovertactorillegalomissionmusttakeplaceinpursuanceoftheguilty
intention.Actusreusisthemanifestationofmensreaintheexternalworld.Prof.Kennywas
thefirstwritertousethetermactusreus.Hehasdefinedthetermthussuchresultof
humanconductasthelawseekstoprevent.

InjuryThefourthrequirementofacrimeisinjurytoanotherpersonortothesocietyatlarge.
Theinjuryshouldbeillegallycausedtoanypersoninbody,mind,reputationorpropertyas
accordingtoSection44ofIPC,1860theinjurydenotesanyharmwhateverillegallycausedto
anypersoninbody,mind,reputationorproperty.

V.StagesOfACrimeIfapersoncommitsacrimevoluntarilyorafterpreparationthedoing
ofitinvolvesfourdifferentstages.Ineverycrime,thereisfirstintentiontocommitit,
secondly,preparationtocommitit,thirdly,attempttocommititandfourthlythe
accomplishment.Thestagescanbeexplainedasunder

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11/17/2015 PrintArticle:TheElementsandStagesofaCrime

1.IntentionIntentionisthefirststageinthecommissionofanoffenceandknownasmental
stage.Intentionisthedirectionofconducttowardstheobjectchosenuponconsideringthe
motiveswhichsuggestthechoice.Butthelawdoesnottakenoticeofanintention,mere
intentiontocommitanoffencenotfollowedbyanyact,cannotconstituteanoffence.The
obviousreasonfornotprosecutingtheaccusedatthisstageisthatitisverydifficultforthe
prosecutiontoprovetheguiltymindofaperson.

2.PreparationPreparationisthesecondstageinthecommissionofacrime.Itmeansto
arrangethenecessarymeasuresforthecommissionoftheintendedcriminalact.Intention
aloneortheintentionfollowedbyapreparationisnotenoughtoconstitutethecrime.
Preparationhasnotbeenmadepunishablebecauseinmostofthecasestheprosecutionhas
failedtoprovethatthepreparationsinthequestionweremadeforthecommissionofthe
particularcrime.

IfApurchasesapistolandkeepsthesameinhispocketdulyloadedinordertokillhisbitter
enemyB,butdoesnothingmore.Ahasnotcommittedanyoffenceasstillheisatthestageof
preparationanditwillbeimpossiblefortheprosecutiontoprovethatAwascarryingthe
loadedpistolonlyforthepurposeofkillingB.

PreparationWhenPunishableGenerally,preparationtocommitanyoffenceisnot
punishablebutinsomeexceptionalcasespreparationispunishable,followingaresome
examplesofsuchexceptionalcircumstances

PreparationtowagewaragainsttheGovernmentSection122,IPC1860

PreparationtocommitdepredationonterritoriesofapoweratpeacewithGovernmentof
IndiaSection126,IPC1860

PreparationtocommitdacoitySection399,IPC1860

PreparationforcounterfeitingofcoinsorGovernmentstampsSections233235,S.255and
S.257

Possessingcounterfeitcoins,falseweightormeasurementandforgeddocuments.Mere
possessionoftheseisacrimeandnopossessorcanpleadthatheisstillatthestageof
preparationSections242,243,259,266and474.

3.AttemptAttemptisthedirectmovementtowardsthecommissionofacrimeafterthe
preparationismade.AccordingtoEnglishlaw,apersonmaybeguiltyofanattemptto
commitanoffenceifhedoesanactwhichismorethanmerelypreparatorytothecommission
oftheoffenceandapersonwillbeguiltyofattemptingtocommitanoffenceeventhoughthe
factsaresuchthatthecommissionoftheoffenceisimpossible.Therearethreeessentialsofan
attempt:

Guiltyintentiontocommitanoffence

Someactdonetowardsthecommissionoftheoffence

Theactmustfallshortofthecompletedoffence.

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11/17/2015 PrintArticle:TheElementsandStagesofaCrime

AttemptUnderTheIndianPenalCode,1860TheIndianPenalCodehasdealtwithattempt
inthefollowingfourdifferentways
Completedoffencesandattemptshavebeendealtwithinthesamesectionandsame
punishmentisprescribedforboth.SuchprovisionsarecontainedinSections121,124,124A,
125,130,131,152,153A,161,162,163,165,196,198,200,213,240,241,251,385,387,
389,391,394,395,397,459and460.

Secondly,attemptstocommitoffencesandcommissionofspecificoffenceshavebeendealt
withseparatelyandseparatepunishmentshavebeenprovidedforattempttocommitsuch
offencesfromthoseoftheoffencescommitted.Examplesaremurderispunishedunder
section302andattempttomurdertomurderundersection307culpablehomicideispunished
undersection304andattempttocommitculpablehomicideundersection308Robberyis
punishedundersection392andattempttocommitrobberyundersection393.

Thirdly,attempttocommitsuicideispunishedundersection309

Fourthly,allothercases[wherenospecificprovisionsregardingattemptaremade]are
coveredundersection511whichprovidesthattheaccusedshallbepunishedwithonehalfof
thelongesttermofimprisonmentprovidedfortheoffenceorwithprescribedfineorwithboth.

4.AccomplishmentOrCompletionThelaststageinthecommissionofanoffenceisits
accomplishmentorcompletion.Iftheaccusedsucceedsinhisattempttocommitthecrime,he
willbeguiltyofthecompleteoffenceandifhisattemptisunsuccessfulhewillbeguiltyofan
attemptonly.Forexample,AfiresatBwiththeintentiontokillhim,ifBdies,Awillbe
guiltyforcommittingtheoffenceofmurderandifBisonlyinjured,itwillbeacaseof
attempttomurder.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AbouttheAuthorRajibHassanLecturerHaldiaLawCollegeWestBengal

BooksReferred:
1.Prof.S.N.MishraIndianPenalCodeCentralLawPublications,Allahabad,TenthEdition
(September)2001.
2.K.D.GaurATextBookofTheIndianPenalCode,UniversalLawPublishingCompany
Pvt.Limited,NewDelhi,ThirdEdition2004
3.O.P.SrivastavaPrinciplesofCriminalLaw,EasternBookCompany,Lucknow,Fifth
Edition,2010
Theauthorcanbereachedat:rajibhassannet@legalserviceindia.com

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