General Exception

GENERAL EXCEPTIONS

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Chapter IV of the PC provides for ‘ general e!eptions" to !ri#inal li a$ilit%& General e!eptions" provide a !o#plete defen!e to a !ri#inal !harge&

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Chapter IV of the IPC deals (i th the General E!eptions) !o#prising of Se!tions *+ to ,-+& It ee#pts a person for# !ri#inal lia$ilit% even if he has !o##itted the actus reus(ith the re./ired mens rea& These 0General E!eptions1 are availa$le to all o2en!es&

O$3e!t of Chapter IV •

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Therefore the o$3e!ts of this !hapter !an $e s/##arised as4 ,& To identif% the e!eptional !ir!/#stan!es $% (hi!h a person !an es!ape !ri#inal lia$ilit% and

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5& To re#ove the ne!essit% of repeating the e!eptions for ever% o2en!e) there$% #a6ing the Code si#pler and strea#lined&

Str/!t/re of Chapter IV •

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The general e!eptions are $roadl% divided into 5 !ategories na#el%) ,& E!/sa$le a!t 5& 7/di!iall% 3/sti8a$le a!t

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E!/sa$le a!t 9 9 9

Infan!%: S& ;5) ;< Intoi!ation = S& ;>) ;+ Insanit% = S& ;?

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9 9 9 9 9 9

7/sti8a$le a!t A!t of a 3/dge A!t done in the p/rs/an!e of an order Ne!essit% @/ress Consent either (ith or (itho/tB Private defen!e

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The e!eption of an e!/sa$le a!t e!/ses a !lass of persons fro# !ri#inal lia$ilit% even if an a!t is an o2en!e& This is generall% d/e to the a$sen!e of mens rea& Therefore even if a person !o##its the he actus ) d/e to the a$sen!e of mens rea (illreus $e e!/sed& @/e to the presen!e of !ertain !ir!/#stan!e an a!t is !onsidered an e!eption as 3/di!iall% 3/sti8a$le& It !onsiders the actus reus done along (ith the re./ired mens reato $e #eritorio/s or for the $etter& It pa%s #ore attention to the !ir!/#stan!es that govern the !o##ission of the said a!t&

ista6e of fa!t Se!& *+ D *B •

The t(o se!tions e!l/de a person fro# !ri#inal lia$ilit% (hen the% are ignorant of the eisten!e of relevant fa!ts or have #ista6en the# and !o##its a (rongf/l a!t for (hi!h he neither !o/ld foresee or intended the /nla(f/l !onse./en!e& It is i#portant that the #is ta6e #/st $e reasona$le and #/st pertain to the fa!t of the !ase and not the la(& This is derived fro# the legal #ai# 0ignorantia fa!ti doth e!/sat) ignorantia 3/ris non e!/sat 1&

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Se!& *+ e!/ses a person fro# !ri#inal lia$ili t% (ho) in to good faith) !o##its an a!t (hi!h he $elieves he is $o/nd to do so /nder la() d/e to #ista6e of fa!t&

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Se!& *: A person a!ts $e!a/se he thin6s there is a legal 3/sti8!ation for the a!t he has !o##itted&

Fo/nd $% la( •

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A soldier 8ring on a #o$ /nder the la(f/l orders of his s/perior = This is an a!t (here the soldier is $o/nd $% la( to do so& An o!er of !o/rt is s/pposed to arrest X $/t a!!identl% arrests H $elieving hi# to $e X = this is a #ista6e of fa!t& 7/sti8ed $% la( Kiran Bedi v. Committee of Inquiry 4 (here the petitioner ref/sed to depose at the $eginning of the en./ir% as she $e lieved that she !o/ld depose onl% at the end of the in./ir%&

Ingredients4 •

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,& 0ista6e of fa!t and not $% reason of a #ista6e of la(14 This phrase in the Se!tion #eans that a #ista6e of fa!t is e!/sa$le) $/t a #ista6e of la( is not e!/sa$le& It is the d/t% of ever% !itien of the land to 6no( the la( of the land) and to $ehave a!!ordingl%& If a person sa%s) 0I do not 6no( the la( and d/e to not 6no(ing the la() I did the o2en!e&1 It is not e!/sa$le& Jo(ever) if a person did a (rongf/l a!t $% a #ista6e of fa!t (ith a good faith and honest $elief that he (as $o/nd to do) he #a% $e e!/sed& It is pres/#ed that ever%one 6no(s the la( of the land&

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Jale (rites4 0Ignoran!e of the #/ni!ipal la( of the Kingdo#) or of the penalt% there$% ini!ted /pon o2enders) not e!/se an% ) that is of thedoes age of dis!retion and !o#pos #entis) fro# the penalt% of the $rea!h of itM $e!a/se ever% person of the age of dis!retion: and !o#pos #entis is $o/nd to 6no( the la( and pres/#ed so to do&1

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5& 0Good faith14 The (ords 0good faith1 #eans 0the a!t done (ith d/e !are and attention1& The% also in!l/de the gen/ine $elief of the person& The $/rden of proof lies /pon the person (ho (ants to ta6e the shelter of good faith&

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5 PLR