Provocation (as a term of
jurisprudence) refers to a possible
defense by
excuse; via which, a
defendant may argue that they should not be held
criminally liable for breaking the
law, as they were
provoked by an aggressor. While
courts rarely agree that a successful demonstration of provocation should eliminate criminal charges, this may result in a mitigated
sentence. This defense has been used with some success in cases dealing with
domestic violence and
barfights; note, this defense is even less successful when dealing with more serious issues, such as
murder.
See also: