General Part

Section II. Crime

Chapter 8. Circumstances Excluding the Criminality of a Deed


Article 37. Necessary Defence

1. It shall not be deemed a crime when harm is inflicted in the state of necessary defence to an attacking person, i.e. in the case of protection of the personality and the rights of defendant or other persons, law-protected interests of the society or the state against a socially-dangerous attack if such an attack involved a violence threatening the life of the defendant or another person or an immediate threat of use of such a violence.

2. Defence against an attack not involving a violence threatening the life of the defendant or another person or an immediate threat of use of such a violence is legal if in this case the limits of necessary defence have not been surpassed, i.e. no deliberate actions have been committed which apparently did not match the character and danger of the attack.

2.1. Actions of a defendant shall not be deemed as surpassing the limits of necessary defence if the defendant could not fairly assess the degree and nature of the threat posed by the attack.

3. The right to necessary defence equally belongs to all persons, irrespective of their professional or other special training background and position. This right belongs to the person, irrespective of the possibility of evading a socially-dangerous attack or asking other persons or authorities for help .