  Let us turn, then, to the second of our questions. Is it true that justifications deny wrongdoing? Is it true that excuses deny responsibility? Some think both questions should at least sometimes be answered in the negative. True, those who act in self-defence plausibly benefit from an exception to the duty not to harm others. Having placed \(D\) under attack, many think, \(V\) has no right that \(D\) not use necessary and proportionate force against \(V\) (McMahan 2005). But the same is not true when \(D\) harms an innocent bystander, even if this is the only way to prevent even greater harm to others. \(V\)’s right remains, it is often thought, but is sometimes overridden. So \(D\) still wrongs \(V\). That wrong is justified when and because \(D\) has undefeated reasons to commit it—reasons given by the greater harm prevented by \(D\). If this is right, those who plead a justification do not always deny, but sometimes concede, wrongdoing. It is the wrong that they then try to justify (Gardner 2007, 77–82).