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Mens

Black's Law Dictionary · Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910

Black's Law Dictionary

Lat Mind; intention; meaning; understanding; will.

Mens legis. The mind of the law; that is, the purpose, spirit, or intention of a law or the law generally.

Mens legislatoris. The intention of the law-maker.

Mens rea. A guilty mind ; a guilty or wrongful purpose ; a criminal intent.