Faculty of Juridical Sciences: Name of The Faulty-Ms. Neha Khanna
Faculty of Juridical Sciences: Name of The Faulty-Ms. Neha Khanna
SCIENCES
SUBJECT CODE-BAL-504
LECTURE-19
The General Exceptions are divided into 2 categories:
Excusable Acts
Judicially Justifiable Acts
A mistake of Fact under section 76 An act of Judge and Act performed in pursuance of an order under Section
and 79. 77 and 78.
Infancy – Section 82 and 83. Consent under Section 87 – 89 and Section 90 and 92.
Excusable Acts
An Excusable Act is the one in which though the person had caused harm, yet that person should be
excused because he cannot be blamed for the act. For example, if a person of unsound mind commits a
crime, he cannot be held responsible for that because he was not having mens rea. Same goes for
involuntary intoxication, insanity, infancy or honest mistake of fact.
Under Section 76: Act done by a person bound or by mistake of fact believing, himself to be bound by
law in included. Nothing is an offence which is done by a person who is or by reason of a mistake of fact,
not by mistake of law in good faith believes himself, to be, bound by law to do such act. It is derived from
the legal maxim “ignorantia facti doth excusat, ignorantia juris non excusat”.
Example: If a soldier firing on a mob by the order of his officer in conformity through the
command of the law, then he will not be liable.
Under Section 79: Act done by a person justified or by mistake of fact believing, himself justified, by
law is included. Nothing is an offence which is done by any person who is justified by law, or who by
reason of mistake of fact and not mistake of law in good faith, believes himself to be justified by law, in
doing that particular act
Example: A thought Z to be a murderer and in good faith and justified by law, seizes Z to
present him before authority. A has not committed any offence.
In Kiran Bedi v. Committee of Inquiry, petitioner refused to deposed to the beginning of the inquiry as she
believed that she could depose only at the end of the inquiry.
MCQs-
i. A’ intentionally fired a shot from his pistol at ‘B’ but it hit ‘C’ and ‘C’ died. The offence committed
by ‘A’ is-
(A) Attempt to murder
(B)Culpable homicide
(C)Murder under Section 300
(D)Murder under Section 301
iii. In which of the following case the right of private defence of body does not extend to causing of
death?
(A) Assault with the intention of committing kidnapping
(B) Assault with the intention of gratifying unnatural lust
(C) Wrongful restraint ‘
(D) Assault with the intention of committing abduction
iv. A’ beat his wife. She fell down and became unconscious. Believing her to be dead and to save himself
from being arrested for murder ‘A’ hanged her in the fan with rope. Postmortem report disclosed her
death from hanging. ‘A’ is liable for—
(A) Murder
(B) Culpable homicide
(C) Hurt
(D) Grievous hurt
v. The word ‘good faith’ is defined in the Indian Penal Code in—
(A) Section 44
(B) Section 51
(C) Section 52
(D) Section 52-A