Offences that convict without proof of mens rea on one or more elements — and the limits the law places on liability without fault.
A defendant can be guilty of these offences despite acting honestly and carefully, which makes the boundaries of the doctrine matter. This chapter starts with what strict liability actually means — what the prosecution must still prove, and why a voluntary act remains essential — before turning to how courts decide whether a statutory offence dispenses with mens rea, from the presumption in favour of fault through the contextual factors and the weight of the penalty. It then examines the consequences for blameless defendants: why reasonable mistake and reasonable care do not assist unless the statute provides a due diligence defence, and what such a defence requires the defendant to prove. It closes with possession offences, where awareness still plays a role, and the distinction between strict and absolute liability.
