Common defenses in criminal law.

• A. Bad character evidence
• B. Insanity
• C. Duress
• D. Self-defence

Answer: (A)

In criminal law, a defense is a legal argument that, if established, excuses or justifies the defendant’s conduct and can negate liability. Three common defenses you’ll encounter are insanity, duress, and self-defence. Insanity argues the defendant lacked the mental capacity to form the necessary intent, so the crime isn’t proven. Duress covers situations where a person commits a crime because they were forced to do so by an immediate threat of serious harm, with no reasonable alternative. Self-defence allows the defendant to use reasonable force to protect themselves from imminent harm, provided the response was proportionate and necessary.

Bad character evidence, on the other hand, isn’t a defense. It’s about evidence concerning the defendant’s character and is generally restricted by rules of admissibility, not used to justify or excuse the charged conduct. Some exceptions allow such evidence for credibility or other purposes, but it does not itself negate liability like the other defenses do.

So the concept being tested is distinguishing defenses (insanity, duress, self-defence) from evidentiary rules (bad character evidence).