What is motive crime?

What is motive crime?

Motive. An idea, belief, or emotion that impels a person to act in accordance with that state of mind. Motive is usually used in connection with Criminal Law to explain why a person acted or refused to act in a certain way—for example, to support the prosecution's assertion that the accused committed the crime.

What is the difference between one’s motive and one’s intent to commit a crime and which is the most important in our legal system?

Intent, on the other hand, is the supposed action or purpose of the crime. It is the result of the motive, and has a higher level of culpability, since a harmful action was committed. Intent is characterized as a deliberate action and conscious effort to break the law and commit the offence.

Why does motive not have to be proven?

But motive usually isn't a criminal element—the prosecution doesn't have to prove the defendant had it. Instead, prosecutors try to establish motive in order to convince the jury that the defendant is guilty.

Why is motive important as a matter of proof?

Motive, in itself, is not an element of any given crime; however, the legal system typically allows motive to be proven in order to make plausible the accused's reasons for committing a crime, at least when those motives may be obscure or hard to identify with. However, a motive is not required to reach a verdict.