Sometimes, you may be charged with a criminal offence although you had a good reason to justify your actions. For example, you might be charged with assault even though you were actually acting to protect yourself or your property (known as self-defence).
In these types of situations, you can raise a defence in court to prove that you had a good reason for your actions, and that if it was not for that reason, you would not have committed the crime.
Because the law only aims to punish people whose actions pose a real threat to society, if you prove that you had a legitimate excuse for your actions, you may be acquitted and the charges against you may be dismissed.
However, you won’t just be able to raise a defence out of the blue. It will be up to you to raise evidence of the defence itself.
Because the law in relation to defences is so complex, it’s especially important that you speak to a reputable criminal lawyer who will be able to advise you on whether you can raise a defence.
A good lawyer will take the time to thoroughly examine all the evidence to determine whether you have a valid defence, and, if you do, they will be able to present evidence argue your case persuasively in court to ensure that you have a good chance of being found ‘not guilty.’
There are several different types of defences that you may be able to raise. Some of these are listed below: