Legal Definitions - justification

Justification refers to a legal defense where an individual admits to performing an action that would typically be considered unlawful, but argues that their conduct was necessary and appropriate given the specific circumstances.

When a court accepts a justification defense, it means that while the act itself might appear wrongful, the law recognizes that the defendant had a valid, compelling reason for acting as they did, making their conduct legally permissible rather than punishable. Essentially, the unique context of the situation prevented the act from being considered a crime.

Here are some examples:

• Self-Defense: Imagine a situation where someone is physically attacked and, in response, uses reasonable force to protect themselves from serious harm.
• Explanation: While using force against another person is generally illegal, the law recognizes that defending oneself from an imminent threat is a justified action. The individual's use of force, though typically prohibited, is not considered wrongful because it was necessary to prevent greater harm to themselves.
• Necessity to Prevent Greater Harm: Consider a scenario where a driver, witnessing a severe accident, speeds and runs a red light to rush a critically injured person to the nearest hospital, knowing that every second counts.
• Explanation: Breaking traffic laws like speeding and running red lights is usually illegal and punishable. However, in this extreme case, the driver's actions could be justified by the overwhelming necessity to prevent a greater harm (loss of life or severe disability). The law might view these actions as permissible given the urgent need to save a life.
• Law Enforcement Duty: A police officer, during an arrest, might need to use physical force to subdue a suspect who is actively resisting and posing a threat to the officer or others.
• Explanation: For a civilian, using such force would likely lead to assault charges. However, a police officer's actions, when reasonable and necessary to perform their duty of maintaining public safety and making lawful arrests, are justified. Their conduct is deemed legally permissible due to their official role and the circumstances.