MLchartDataset catalogue

Mistake of law

Term · Law · MLC-T-LAW-005386

A defense in criminal proceedings where the accused claims ignorance or a misunderstanding of a legal rule or statute. This defense is rarely successful, as the principle "ignorance of the law is no excuse" generally applies. It differs from a mistake of fact, which can negate the mental state required for a crime.

Table 1. Record
IdentifierMLC-T-LAW-005386
FieldLaw
Record as JSON 
{
  "id": "MLC-T-LAW-005386",
  "term": "Mistake of law",
  "field": "Law",
  "definition": "A defense in criminal proceedings where the accused claims ignorance or a misunderstanding of a legal rule or statute. This defense is rarely successful, as the principle \"ignorance of the law is no excuse\" generally applies. It differs from a mistake of fact, which can negate the mental state required for a crime.",
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/law/mistake-of-law/"
}

Record 3,232 of 5,439 in Law terminology (MLC-0107). Request the full dataset.