Is self defence a murder?

1. 60

   urs_dipakposted 14 years ago

   Is self defence a murder?

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2. 60

   nightwork4posted 14 years ago

   if it's truly self defence then i would say no. i would not give up my life if someone was trying to kill me just because some people think we should

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3. 54

   Priscilla1998posted 14 years ago

   DEFENSE, SELF-DEFENSE. A defense to certain criminal charges involving force

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4. 60

   Sterling Carterposted 14 years ago

   When people protect themselves/family or other people from potential harm from others with the use of lethal force then I would say it is murder.
   
   Murder is usually defined as when someone takes the life of others purposely usually with some sort of felt "gain" by the perpetrator.
   
   This could be felt as getting even or as retribution "which is legal is some parts of the world to restore family honor". Or it could be to help protect the identity of the perpetrator after a crime of theft or some other form of criminal act has been conducted. The old saying "Dead men tell no tales" comes to mind.
   
   But if it is truly an act of self defense results int he loss of life, then no one has the right to call it murder.

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5. 60

   Ignatius J Reillyposted 14 years ago

   This is a thorny and ambiguous question - and one that assumes that killing someone is the only form of self-defence.
   
   In most situations of self defence - the person defending themselves will have a number of options open to them other than killing their adversary.
   
   In most cases - if death is the apparently "accidental" or "unintended" result of the situation, then the charge would be manslaughter - or accidental manslaughter.
   
   i.e. - if you hit someone on the head with a heavy object to protect yourself, and they later died of that injury.
   
   Realistically it's a very difficult thing to argue in court.  If you had wrestled a gun off an intruder, you would not have the right to shoot them (not in the UK anyway).  If you were to shoot them having gained the weapon, this would be considered an act of anger, retribution, and premeditation - no matter how brief the premeditation.
   
   Realistically self-defence is a term that refers to your instinctive reflex behaviour when attacked.  Anything outside this is a response rather than a reaction.

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