Legal Definitions - locus delicti

Locus delicti is a Latin legal term that refers to the specific geographical location where a crime or wrongful act was committed. More precisely, it is the place where the final action or event occurred that completed the offense and made someone legally responsible.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: Physical Assault

  Imagine a situation where two individuals get into an argument in a coffee shop, and one person physically assaults the other. The coffee shop would be considered the locus delicti because it is the exact place where the physical act of assault, which constitutes the offense, took place.

• Example 2: Online Financial Fraud

  Consider a scenario where a scammer, operating from Country A, sends a fraudulent email to a victim residing in Country B. The email persuades the victim to transfer a large sum of money from their bank account in Country B to the scammer's account in Country C. In this complex situation, the locus delicti for the financial fraud would likely be Country B. This is because Country B is where the victim suffered the financial loss, which is the "last event necessary" to complete the crime of fraud, even though actions were initiated in Country A and funds ended up in Country C.

• Example 3: Environmental Pollution

  Suppose a factory located in State X illegally discharges pollutants into a river that flows downstream into State Y. The pollution then causes significant environmental damage and harm to wildlife in State Y. While the act of discharging the pollutants originated in State X, the locus delicti for the environmental damage and its resulting liability could be argued to be in State Y. This is because State Y is where the full impact and harm of the wrongful act were realized, representing the "last event necessary" to establish the complete offense of environmental damage.