Duress and Murder

DURESS AND MURDER: WHY THE LAW STILL SAYS NO... What happens when a person is forced to choose between committing a crime and facing death, serious harm, or another grave threat? The law recognises duress as a defence in certain circumstances. Yet when the charge is murder, that door remains firmly closed in many legal systems. The question, then, is not merely whether a person acted under threat, but whether the law's absolute refusal to accept duress as a defence to murder is justified. Duress and Murder: Why the Law Still Says No... examines the difficult intersection between coercion, criminal responsibility, morality and the preservation of human life. It considers why the law draws a hard line at murder, the arguments that support that position, and the difficult questions that arise when human agency is severely constrained by threats. Through legal analysis and critical examination, this book invites readers to look beyond the familiar rule and ask a more uncomfortable question: when does a person who acts under compulsion truly deserve to bear the full weight of criminal responsibility? Rather than offering easy answers, this work opens the door to a deeper conversation about the limits of criminal liability, the meaning of free will, and whether justice is always served by saying no.