Which category includes acts illegal by statute but not inherently evil?

• A. Mala in se
• B. Corpus delicti
• C. Mens rea
• D. Mala prohibita

Answer: (D)

Some acts are illegal not because they are inherently evil but because the law prohibits them. That category is mala prohibita. They include offenses created by statute—for example, traffic violations or regulatory offenses—where the wrongdoing is tied to breaking a rule rather than to a morally blameworthy act. Mala in se, by contrast, are acts that are wrong in themselves, like murder or rape, regardless of the statute. Corpus delicti concerns proving the crime’s essential facts—the body of the crime—while mens rea relates to the defendant’s mental state at the time of the offense. So the best fit for acts illegal by statute but not inherently evil is mala prohibita.