Home > Journals > Michigan Law Review > MLR > Volume 21 > Issue 3 (1923)
Abstract
The rule that the corpus delicti-the body of the crime -must be satisfactorily established before one accused of the commission of the crime can be properly convicted is of early origin. The first statement of the necessity and the insistence of its requirement appears to be that of Ld. Hale (2 Hale P. C. 290), where he says: "I would never convict a person of murder or manslaughter, unless the fact were proven to be done or at least the body found dead." The reason for this corpus delicti doctrine is that a defendant should never be convicted unless every part of the case is made out against him beyond a reasonable doubt.
Recommended Citation
Corpus Delicti,
21
Mich. L. Rev.
339
(1923).
Available at:
https://repository.law.umich.edu/mlr/vol21/iss3/6