What is “Cui Bono”?

Cui bono is a Latin phrase that means, “who benefits?”.

Cui bono is often used as a mechanism to work out who committed a crime or to establish who is
likely to be involved in a crime. Those who stand to benefit from a crime being committed, the logic
goes, are the ones most likely to have committed the crime.The principle of cui bono has been used
for thousands of years.

Applications of Cui Bono

Police officers and investigators routinely apply the principle of cui bono.
We have all heard of examples, for instance, where a family member died whose substantial
inheritance was set to pass onto a named beneficiary. That named beneficiary has every reason,
or motive, to commit that crime – or to be a party to it – and so naturally falls into suspicion with
investigators. Of course, this does not mean that the named beneficiary must be involved, but that
they have a personal stake in the question. Given that money is invariably the source of many crimes,
it is unsurprising that the question of cui bono arises in these cases.

Drawbacks of Cui Bono

Always remember that cui bono is a form of inductive reasoning. It does not seek to conclusively
establish who committed a crime. This contrasts with deductive reasoning which brings evidence
together to establish who committed a given crime.
As we have learned, cui bono should not be used as a tool on its own. It does not serve to replace
circumstantial evidence – such as DNA or other evidence gathered at the scene of a crime or
elsewhere throughout an investigative process. Instead, cui bono can be used to weave together a
reasonable basis for assuming who is most likely to have committed the crime; those who have the
greatest motive and those who seek to benefit as a direct consequence of the crime.
Of course, the principle of cui bono can be harnessed by criminals, too. It is not uncommon, for
example, for criminals to deliberately create circumstances in which a third party is framed to look as if
they committed it. This is known as scapegoating. Attention is deflected from those who committed
the crime toward some third party who is seen as the prime beneficiary. This is smart on the part of
the criminal, and the investigator must be cognisant of this strategy when attempting to unpack a
crime.
It is also possible for someone to commit a crime that, rather than actively benefit the accused,
actually ends up hurting them. In these cases, there is no obvious benefit for that person to commit
the crime. Think, for instance, of cases where a suspect lashes out and murders their partner in a fit of
rage.

Take Home Message

The principle of cui bono is important.
It forms the basis of many reasonable and sound judgments by police officers and investigators as
they attempt to unpack a crime.