For more than a century, Canada's Criminal Code made it a serious offence to intentionally alarm the Sovereign, carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years' imprisonment. Discover why this unusual law was created, why no reported prosecutions have ever been found, and why Parliament ultimately repealed it in 2019.

Mens rea, meaning “guilty mind,” is a core principle in Canadian criminal law. It refers to the mental element required to establish criminal responsibility. A person is typically only found guilty if they not only committed the unlawful act (actus reus) but also did so with intent, knowledge, recklessness, or wilful blindness. Without mens rea, many charges cannot result in a conviction.