- Douglas GuilfoyleDouglas GuilfoyleAssociate Professor of Law, Monash University
This chapter discusses the elements of international crimes. In general, a crime is conceived as having two components: prohibited conduct (which may be called the objective, material, or ‘real’ element of the crime or its actus reus) and a culpable mental state (which may be called the subjective, or mental element of the crime or its mens rea). In addition to material and mental elements, certain international crimes may also require a contextual element. That is, some international crimes may require that the prohibited act occurs in or has a relationship to a particular set of circumstances: for example, a war crime must be closely connected with an armed conflict. This contextual element is sometimes also called a nexus requirement.