Legal Definitions - intentional act

An intentional act refers to an action performed with a conscious objective or purpose. It means the person performing the act desired a particular outcome or knew with substantial certainty that a specific result would occur from their action. This distinguishes it from actions that are accidental, negligent, or involuntary.

• Example 1: A homeowner decides to build a fence around their property. They hire a contractor, sign a contract, and oversee the construction process.

  Explanation: The entire process, from deciding to build the fence to signing the contract and monitoring the work, constitutes a series of intentional acts. The homeowner consciously chose to undertake this project, intending to define their property boundaries and enhance their home, rather than the fence being built by accident or without their knowledge.

• Example 2: During a heated argument, one person deliberately throws a glass of water at another person, soaking their clothes.

  Explanation: The act of throwing the glass of water was intentional. The person consciously decided to perform that action with the purpose of hitting the other individual and causing their clothes to get wet, even if they didn't intend any physical harm beyond that. It was not an accidental slip or spill.

• Example 3: An employee accesses a confidential company database without authorization, specifically searching for and downloading proprietary client lists to use in a new competing business.

  Explanation: The employee's actions—accessing the database, searching for specific information, and downloading it—are all intentional acts. They consciously chose to bypass security protocols and acquire sensitive data with the deliberate purpose of using it for personal gain, rather than stumbling upon the information by mistake or through an oversight.