Legal Definitions - si antecedit ictum licet non congressum

SI ANTECEDIT ICTUM LICET NON CONGRESSUM

SI ANTECEDIT ICTUM LICET NON CONGRESSUM is a Latin legal term that means if it precedes the blow, although not actually connected with it. This phrase is used in reference to the malice sufficient to warrant a capital murder conviction.

For example, if someone plans to kill another person and buys a gun, but never actually uses it to commit the murder, they can still be charged with capital murder because their actions showed malice aforethought. Another example could be if someone hires a hitman to kill someone, but the hitman never actually carries out the murder, the person who hired them can still be charged with capital murder.

These examples illustrate that even if the actual murder did not take place, the intent and actions leading up to it can still be considered as evidence of malice aforethought and can result in a capital murder conviction.