Necessity

Necessity

In U.S. criminal law, necessity may be either a possible justification or an exculpation for breaking the law. Defendants seeking to rely on this defense argue that they should not be held liable for their actions as a crime because their conduct was necessary to prevent some greater harm and when that conduct is not excused under some other more specific provision of law such as self defense. Except for a few statutory exemptions and in some medical cases there is no corresponding defense in English law.

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Famous quotes containing the word necessity:

    The secret of the illusoriness is in the necessity of a succession of moods or objects. Gladly we would anchor, but the anchorage is quicksand.
    Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

    The sadness of the women’s movement is that they don’t allow the necessity of love. See, I don’t personally trust any revolution where love is not allowed.
    Maya Angelou (b. 1928)

    Every need whose true satisfaction is denied leads by necessity to faith.
    Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749–1832)