Which of the following is not essential for an offence?

Correct Answer: Motive Motive is the term used to explain why a person committed a crime. It isn’t the same as intent which relates to whether an action was accidental or intentional. Intent is an element of just about every crime, meaning that the prosecution must establish that the defendant intended to commit the criminal act. (Sometimes it’s enough to prove that the defendant didn’t act intentionally, but was reckless or criminally negligent.) But motive usually isn’t a criminal element and the prosecution doesn’t have to prove that the defendant had it. Instead, prosecutors try to establish motive in order to convince the jury that the defendant is guilty. Motive is a thing primarily known to the accused himself and it may not be possible for the prosecution in each and every case to find out the real motive behind the crime.