# Justifiable Homicide

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justifiable-homicide/24138>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 30, 2000, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justifiable-homicide/24138 "2000-06-30T08:26:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2000, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justifiable-homicide/24138/1 "2000-06-30T08:26:17Z")

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What is “Justifiable Homicide?” How is it different from self defense?

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**Author:** ![lindsay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3be4f8/32.png) [@lindsay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsay)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2000, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justifiable-homicide/24138/2 "2000-06-30T09:13:00Z")

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Think it is something like a police officer shooting and killing someone who has taken hostages and it is determined that in order to save the lives of the people, the criminal must be killed.

Also in many areas, if someone breaks into your home, and you are in fear for your life or your kids lives, you can get your gun, shoot to kill - providing the person isn’t fleeing and is halfway out the window - and that should be considered justifiable homicide.

Basically, you can kill to protect your family but not property.

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**Author:** ![starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starfish)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2000, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justifiable-homicide/24138/3 "2000-06-30T13:29:25Z")

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Someone might post a question about three words that end in -gry.

You response would not be self defense, just it would certainly be justified.

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**Author:** ![Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ce73a5/32.png) [@Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazoo)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2000, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justifiable-homicide/24138/4 "2000-06-30T14:06:58Z")

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From my Barron’s Law Dictionary:

> [@](#):
>
> **JUSTIFIABLE HOMOCIDE**  
> “the killing of a human being by commandment of the law, in the execution of public justice, in self-defense, in [lawful] defense of habitation, property or person.” etc. 45 S.E. 2d 798, 799.

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**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2000, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justifiable-homicide/24138/5 "2000-06-30T20:08:47Z")

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Down here in the South “He needed killin’” is a valid defense.

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**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2000, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justifiable-homicide/24138/6 "2000-06-30T20:35:47Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*\*  
> From my Barron’s Law Dictionary:
> 
> > [@](#):
> >
> > **JUSTIFIABLE HOMOCIDE**  
> > “the killing of a human being by commandment of the law, in the execution of public justice, in self-defense, in [lawful] defense of habitation, property or person.” etc. 45 S.E. 2d 798, 799.
> 
> \*\*

…in other words, self-defense is a subset of justifiable homicide.

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**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2000, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justifiable-homicide/24138/7 "2000-06-30T22:40:28Z")

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If i recall correctly from my former life as a law grad (albeit in a different common law country), the key component in self-defence would be ‘proportional response’ i.e. if someone enters your house uninvited and waving a gun, you are entitled to think your life is in danger and are unlikely to be prosecuted should you shoot him/her first.

Homicide is lawful and justified if it is a proportional response to a provocation.

But I’m not a lawyer.