Attempts and Conspiracies Attempts Attempts are classified as inchoate offenses because they remain incomplete. Typically, the law does not punish mere intent; some degree of criminal harm must be achieved before liability is imposed. Section 380 of…

There exists a category of individuals who are guilty of a crime, even though their involvement is not directly tied to a situation where the offense is committed by more than one person. Each individual may be held criminally liable, but the questi…

For a person to be held criminally liable, they must act with free will, combined with the necessary malicious intent (mens rea). That is, the crime must contain two essential elements— actus reus (the guilty act) and mens rea (the guilty mind). H…

Basic Elements of Crime  Criminal law typically prohibits undesirable acts, and proof of a crime requires evidence of some conduct. This is referred to as the actus reus or "guilty act." Some crimes, especially modern regulatory offenses,…

History of Criminal Law in Tanzania (i) Criminal Law in Pre-Colonial Tanzania Before colonization, Tanzanian society was structured around families, clans, and tribes. Tribal territories, each with a common dialect and religious practices, were ofte…

The Nature and Function of Criminal Law Under Different Modes of Production i) Primitive Mode of Production In the primitive mode of production, there were no formal laws or criminal law. Social norms and customs regulated human relations. Criminal …

Sources of Criminal Law 1. The Constitution The Constitution outlines the rights and responsibilities of citizens. For example, the Tanzanian Constitution guarantees the presumption of innocence for accused individuals. In addition, judgments from t…

Crime and Morality Crime and morality are distinct concepts, though they may sometimes overlap. Each society has its own moral code, but not all immoral acts are criminalized. Morality predates both the state and legal systems, regulating human inte…

What is Criminal Law?   Criminal law is a branch of public law, which also includes administrative and constitutional law. Its primary aim is to protect the public interest by defining the duties individuals owe to society. Unlike civil law, which f…