Justice Minister suggests murders committed in defense of “moral values” could be exempt from criminal liability

Russia’s Minister of Justice, Konstantin Chuychenko, has proposed that defending moral values could become a third legal ground for exemption from criminal liability. He voiced this idea at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum (SPBILF).

“I have a proposal: perhaps we should consider introducing a third basis for exemption from criminal liability, in order to ensure justice in sentencing. As it stands, exemptions are granted if a person acted in a state of extreme necessity or in self-defense. But what if they were defending moral values?” — TASS quoted the Minister.

As examples, Chuychenko cited residents of the Kursk region who allegedly killed Ukrainian soldiers "for the sake of values," and a father who received an 8-year sentence for killing the man who raped his daughter. He did not clarify whether these were real or hypothetical cases.

“Morality should be embodied in the law, and the law should be deeply moral. At present, our criminal and criminal procedure codes define justice as proportionality between the act and the punishment,” he added.

Powered by Froala Editor