「CRIMINAL ACT」
results of such danger.
Article 19 (Concurrence of Independent Act) When a series of independent acts concur at the
same time or at different times, each act shall be punished as an attempted crime, if it is
not ascertainable which act has produced the result thereof.
Article 20 (Justifiable Act) An act which is conducted in accordance with statutes or
regulations, or in pursuance of accepted business practices, or other acts which does not
violate the social rules shall not be punishable.
Article 21 (Self-Defense) (1) An act which is performed in order to defend one's own or
another person's legal interest from impending and unjust infringement shall not be
punishable if there are reasonable grounds for that act.
(2) When a preventive act has exceeded reasonable limits, the punishment may be
mitigated or remitted depending on the circumstances.
(3) In the case of paragraph (2), an act caused by fear, shock, excitement, or confusion at
night or under other uneasy conditions shall not be punishable.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Dec. 8, 2020]
Article 22 (Necessity) (1) An act which is performed in order to avoid impending danger
against the one's own or another person's legal interest shall not be punishable when
there are reasonable grounds.
(2) The provisions of the preceding paragraph shall not apply to a person charged with
duties not to avoid the danger.
(3) The provisions of paragraphs (2) and (3) of the preceding Article shall apply mutatis
mutandis to this Article.
Article 23 (Self-Help) (1) Where it is impossible to preserve a claim by legal procedures, an
act performed in order to prevent its execution from being impossible or significantly
impracticable shall not be punishable when there are reasonable grounds.
(2) Where an act prescribed in paragraph (1) has exceeded reasonable limits, the
punishment may be mitigated or remitted depending on the circumstances.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Dec. 8, 2020]
Article 24 (Consent of Victim) An act which infringes a legal interest with the consent of a
person who is authorized to dispose of such interest shall not be punishable except as
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