defense of necessity

The defense of necessity is a legal principle allowing someone to avoid criminal liability if they committed a wrongful act to prevent a significant harm. Essentially, it means that breaking the law was necessary to protect oneself or others from an imminent, serious danger, and there was no reasonable way to avoid the harm without breaking the law. For example, trespassing to escape a life-threatening situation might be justified under this defense. However, the harm prevented must outweigh the illegal act, and the person must have had no reasonable legal alternatives at the moment.