## IPC 79

### IPC 79 — Act done by a person justified, or by mistake of fact believing himself justified, by law
- https://unisonlegal.in/statutes/ipc/79

> 79. Act done by a person justified, or by mistake of fact believing himself justified, by law.-
Nothing is an offence which is done by any person who is justified by law, or who by reason of a mistake

1. Subs. by Act 8 of 1862, s. 5, for "be less than a".
2. Subs. by Act 3 of 1910, s. 2, for section 75.
3. The words "British India" have successively been subs. by the A. O. 1948, the A. O. 1950 and Act 3 of 1951, s. 3 and the Sch.,
(w.e.f. 1-4-1951) to read as above.
4. The word "or" omitted by Act 3 of 1951, s. 3 and the Sch (w.e.f. 1-4-1951).
5. Cl. (b) omitted by s. 3 and the Sch., ibid. (w.e.f. 1-4-1951).
6. Subs. by Act 26 of 1955, s. 117 and the Sch., for "transportation for life" (w.e.f. 1-1-1956).
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of fact and not by reason of a mistake of law in good faith, believes himself to be justified by law, in
doing it.
Illustration
A sees Z commit what appears to A to be a murder. A, in the exercise, to the best of his judgment exerted in good faith, of
the power which the law gives to all persons of apprehending murderers in the fact, seizes Z, in order to bring Z before the proper
authorities. A has committed no offence, though it may turn out that Z was acting in self-defence.