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Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse committed with the necessary intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisdiction.[1][2][3] This state of mind may, depending upon the jurisdiction, distinguish murder from other forms of unlawful homicide, such as manslaughter. Manslaughter is killing committed in the absence of malice,[note 1] such as in the case of voluntary manslaughter brought about by reasonable provocation, or diminished capacity. Involuntary manslaughter, where it is recognized, is a killing that lacks all but the most attenuated guilty intent, recklessness.
Most societies consider murder to be an extremely serious crime, and thus believe that a person convicted of murder should receive harsh punishments for the purposes of retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation, or incapacitation. In most countries, a person convicted of murder generally receives a long-term prison sentence, a life sentence, or capital punishment.[4]
- ^ West's Encyclopedia of American Law Volume 7 (Legal Representation to Oyez). West Group. 1997. ISBN 978-0314201607. Retrieved 10 September 2017. ("The unlawful killing of another human being without justification or excuse.")
- ^ "Murder". Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on 2 October 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
- ^ The American Heritage Dictionary (5 ed.). Random House Publishing Group. 2012. ISBN 9780553583229. Retrieved 10 September 2017. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the crime of killing a person with malice aforethought or with recklessness manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life.")
- ^ Tran, Mark (2011-03-28). "China and US among top punishers but death penalty in decline". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 2017-02-17.
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