murder = a person can be found guilty of murder if they unlawfully kill a reasonable person in being under the King's peace with malice aforethought express or implied (lordcoke)
actus reus = unlawful killing (rea)
result crime, V must have been killed by act or omission (Gibbins & Proctor)
test for death = brain stem died (Malcherek)
a foetus is not a reasonable person in being (AGs ref no3)
King's peace is not in a time of war
mens rea = malice aforethought express or implied (Vickers)
express = intent to kill
implied = intent to cause GBH
direct intent (Mohan)
oblique intent (Woollin)
causation rules apply
causation in law 'butfor' test (pagett)
causation in fact must be more than minimal but not substantial (kimsey)
coincidence principle , actus reus and mens rea must coincide