Necessity - national proceedings

Romania

The Criminal Code

The General Part

Title II
Offences

Chapter II
Justifying causes

State of necessity

Art.23 - (1) An act provided in the criminal law committed by a person in order to save his/ her own life, corporal integrity or health or those of another person or an important asset of his/her own or of another person or a general interest, from imminent danger that could not be removed otherwise shall not be considered an offence.

(2) A person who, at the moment of perpetration, did not realise that he/she was causing obviously more serious consequences than those that could have occurred had the danger not been removed, shall also be in a state of necessity.

Rome Statute

Article 31 Grounds for excluding criminal responsibility

1. In addition to other grounds for excluding criminal responsibility provided for in this Statute, a person shall not be criminally responsible if, at the time of that person's conduct:

(c) The person acts reasonably to defend himself or herself or another person or, in the case of war crimes, property which is essential for the survival of the person or another person or property which is essential for accomplishing a military mission, against an imminent and unlawful use of force in a manner proportionate to the degree of danger to the person or the other person or property protected. The fact that the person was involved in a defensive operation conducted by forces shall not in itself constitute a ground for excluding criminal responsibility under this subparagraph;