This maxim is important for the determination of criminality of an act or omission. It means that act does not make a man guilty unless his intention is so. The maxim contains a good deal of truth, as there could be no crime without the presence of the guilty mind.
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It has been observed that, “the maxim is bedrock of the English Common Law of crimes and it amounts to no more and no less than that all crime is characterized by and necessarily involves, some form of culpable intentionality”.
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Or according to Stephen as observed in R. v. Sheppard, it means “no more than that the definition of all or nearly all crimes contains not only an outward and visible element, but a mental element varying according to the different crimes”. It may be said that the two important elements of crime examined from the view point of the offender are—
(i) Conduct on his part or act or action which constitutes the physical act which is objective; and
(ii) A guilty state of mind or a mind which is blame-worthy, which is the subjective element usually inferred from either—
(a) The facts and circumstances of the case; or
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(b) On the basis of the proposition that a man intends the natural consequences of his act.