Give an example of a legal defense in criminal law.

Self-defense is a recognized legal defense in criminal law that allows an individual to justify their use of force in response to a perceived threat or attack. This defense asserts that a person was compelled to protect themselves from immediate physical harm, and that their response was a reasonable and proportional reaction to the circumstances they faced.

In legal contexts, self-defense can be invoked when an individual shows that they had a genuine belief that they were in imminent danger and that their actions were necessary to prevent harm. For instance, if someone is attacked and they respond by using reasonable force to neutralize the threat, this can qualify as self-defense.

The emphasis on the reasonableness and immediacy of the threat is crucial; the law seeks to determine whether a reasonable person in the same situation would have felt that self-defense was necessary. This highlights the balance the legal system attempts to strike between protecting individuals' rights to defend themselves and ensuring that force is not used excessively.

In contrast, the other options do not align with established legal defenses in the same way. Temptation and fear of authority do not constitute justifiable reasons for criminal actions, nor do they absolve responsibility. Ignorance of the law is typically not an acceptable defense, as individuals are expected to be