Knowledge - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition knowledge

Definition :

Knowledge, 'knowledge' is an awareness on the part of the person concerned indicating his state of mind. 'Reason to believe' is another facet of the state of mind. 'Knowledge' will be slightly on a higher plane than 'reason to believe'. A person can be supposed to know where there is a direct appeal to his senses and a person is presumed to have a reason to believe if he has sufficient cause to believe the same, Joti Parshad v. State of Haryana, AIR 1993 SC 1167 (1169): (1993) Supp 2 SCC 497.

A state of mind entertained by a person with regard to existing facts which he has himself observed, or the existence of which has been communicated to him by persons whose veracity he has no reason to doubt, Emperor v. Zamin, AIR 1932 Oudh 28.

Knowledge be inferred from the circumstances of the case, Emperor v. Maturanath De, AIR 1932 Cal 850.

Knowledge is an awareness on the part of the person concerned indicating his state of mind, A.S. Krishnan v. State of Kerala, AIR 2004 SC 3229.

Is the fact or condition of being cognizant, conscious or aware of something; to be assured or being acquainted with, Arun Nivalaji More v. State of Maharashtra, AIR 2006 (SC) 2886: (2006) 6 Supreme 198: 2006 (8) SC JD 307: 2006 (9) SRJ 30: 2006 Cr LJ 4057: 2006 (7) JT 299: 2006 (7) SCALE 532: (2006) 3 Crimes 210 (SC): (2006) 3 JCC 1388: (2006) 4 Recent CR 19. (Indian Penal Code, s. 300)

Means an awareness or understanding of a fact or circumstances a state of mind in which a person has no substantial doubt about the existence of a fact.

It is necessary..... to distinguish between producing a result intentionally and producing it knowingly. Intention and knowledge commonly go together, for he who intends a result usually knows that it will follow, and he who knows the consequences of his act usually intends them. But there may be intention without knowledge, the consequence being desired but not fore-known as certain or even probable. Conversely there may be knowledge without intention, the consequence being fore-known as the inevitable concomitant of that which is desired, but being itself an object of repugnance rather than desire, and therefore not intended, John Salmond, Jurisprudence, 380-381, Glanville L Williams; see also Black's Law Dictionary, 7th Edn., p. 876.

Can be seen in many ways as playing the same role in relation to circumstances as intention plays in relation to consequences. One knows something if one is absolutely sure that it is so although, unlike intention, it is of no relevance whether one wants or desires the thing to be so. Since it is difficult ever to be absolutely certain of anything, it has to be accepted that a person who feels 'virtually certain' about something can equally be regarded as knowing it, (Blackstone's Criminal Practice)