Legal Definitions - ira motus

ira motus

This Latin term describes a state of mind where an individual's actions are driven by intense anger or strong passion. It refers to someone who is "moved or excited by anger or passion," meaning their behavior is a direct, often impulsive, reaction to a sudden surge of powerful emotion, particularly rage or extreme frustration.

Examples:

• A driver, already stressed by heavy traffic, is suddenly cut off by another vehicle without warning. In a moment of ira motus, they aggressively honk their horn, flash their high beams, and then pull alongside the other car to shout insults.

  This illustrates ira motus because the driver's aggressive actions were not pre-meditated but were an immediate, impulsive reaction directly fueled by the sudden anger and frustration of being cut off.

• During a heated debate at a community meeting, a resident feels personally attacked by a comment from another attendee. Feeling unfairly targeted and experiencing ira motus, they immediately stand up and deliver a sharp, emotional retort that is uncharacteristic of their usual calm demeanor.

  Here, the resident's sudden, emotional outburst demonstrates ira motus as their words were a direct consequence of being "moved by anger or passion" in response to feeling personally attacked, rather than a reasoned or measured contribution to the debate.

• After discovering that a trusted colleague has repeatedly taken credit for their work, an employee confronts the colleague. Overwhelmed by a sudden surge of anger and betrayal, they act in ira motus by immediately sending a strongly worded email to their manager, detailing the colleague's actions without first considering the professional implications.

  This scenario shows ira motus because the employee's immediate decision to send the email was driven by the intense anger and passion of the moment, rather than a calm, strategic assessment of the situation.