What defines 'adequate cause' in the context of passion?

'Adequate cause' in the context of passion refers to a situation or circumstance that would provoke a reasonable person to experience strong emotional reactions, such as anger, frustration, or rage. This definition is grounded in the understanding that certain stimuli can trigger emotional responses in an ordinary individual, leading to actions that might be explained by those heightened feelings.

In legal terms, when evaluating a claim of passion-driven actions—often relevant in cases involving crimes of passion—the focus is on whether the provocation was sufficient to cause the defendant to lose self-control as a normal reaction to that stimulus. Therefore, it emphasizes the perspective of an ordinary person in similar situations, and whether they would have responded with similar intensity.

This approach helps establish a legal framework for understanding actions taken in the heat of the moment, making it clear that the provoking cause must be something that would elicit a passionate response from an average individual, rather than just any emotional response or consistent distress.