What is Defense (legal)?
[[File:Eo-scale2.png|thumb|right|200px]] In [[Civil law|civil proceeding]]s and [[Criminal law|criminal prosecution]]s under the [[common law]], a [[defendant]] may raise a '''defense''' (or '''defence''') in an attempt to avoid criminal or civil [[legal liability|liability]]. It is an answer, made by a [[defendant]] to a [[plaintiff]]'s action or a denial of a [[prosecutor]]'s charges.<ref> Irving Shapiro, ''The New Dictionary of Legal Terms'' (Flushing, NY: Looseleaf Law Publications, 1984), p. 55</ref> It is also an answer in [[equity (law)|equity]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thelawdictionary.org/defense/ |title=What is DEFENSE? |publisher=The Law Dictionary |access-date=24 October 2015}}</ref> ==Civil law defenses== Under [[common law]], a defendant may raise any of the numerous defenses to limit or avoid liability. These include: * Lack of [[jurisdiction]] of the court, such as [[diplomatic immunity]]. * Failure to state a [[cause of action]] or other insufficiencies of [[pleading]]. * Any of the [[affirmative defense]]s. * Defenses conferred by statute - such as a [[statute of limitations]] or the [[statute of frauds]]. * ''[[Ex turpi causa non oritur actio]]'' - the action against the defendant arises from an illegality. * ''[[Volenti non fit injuria]]'' - [[consent]] by the victim or plaintiff. * ''[[In pari delicto]]'' - both sides equally at fault * [[Unclean hands]] == Criminal defenses == In a criminal trial, there are a wide variety of defenses offered. Some of these include:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/defenses-criminal-charges-30275.html |title=Defenses to Criminal Charges |publisher=NOLO |access-date=24 October 2015}}</ref> * You could also get shot for major bad acts. * Most often, defendants claim that they did not commit the [[wikt:alleged|alleged]] act in question. * The defendant had an [[alibi]]. He or she was someplace else when the crime was committed and could not be guilty. * [[Self-defense]], a claim that an act was justified because of something the ot