Corpus delicti

Term

Criminal

Literal meaning	The body of the offence
Pronunciation	KOR-pus dih-LIK-tye

The facts that make up a crime. It does not only mean the body of the victim.

Example

In a murder case, the corpus delicti is the proof that a person died and that the death was caused by a criminal act.

Exam tip

Remember it means the essential facts of the crime.

Memory trick

Corpus = body of facts.

Key takeaway

Corpus delicti is the set of facts showing a crime was committed.