最高人民法院、最高人民檢察院、公安部近日聯(lián)合發(fā)布《關(guān)于依法適用正當防衛(wèi)制度的指導意見》，對依法準確適用正當防衛(wèi)制度作出較為全面系統(tǒng)的規(guī)定。

The premise of justifiable defense is the existence of unlawful infringement, which includes not only infringement on the right to life and health, but also the violation of personal freedoms, public and private property, among other rights, according to the guideline.
指導意見明確，正當防衛(wèi)的前提是存在不法侵害。不法侵害既包括侵犯生命、健康權(quán)利的行為，也包括侵犯人身自由、公私財產(chǎn)等權(quán)利的行為。

【知識點】

正當防衛(wèi)（justifiable defense），指對正在進行不法侵害行為的人采取的制止不法侵害的行為，對不法侵害人造成一定限度損害的，屬于正當防衛(wèi)，不負刑事責任。

我國《刑法》第二十條對正當防衛(wèi)的規(guī)定是：

為了使國家、公共利益、本人或者他人的人身、財產(chǎn)和其他權(quán)利免受正在進行的不法侵害，而采取的制止不法侵害的行為，對不法侵害人造成損害的，屬于正當防衛(wèi)，不負刑事責任。
If a person employs an act to stop an unlawful infringement for the purposes of avoiding the said infringement for the State's or the public interest or for his own or another person's right of the person, property right or any other right, thus causing harm to the unlawful infringer, the said act shall be regarded as a justifiable defense and the said person shall not bear criminal responsibility.

正當防衛(wèi)明顯超過必要限度造成重大損害的，應當負刑事責任，但是應當減輕或者免除處罰。
If a justifiable defense apparently exceeds the limits of necessity, thus causing a serious harm, the person involved shall bear criminal responsibility, but be given a mitigated punishment or be exempt from punishment.

對正在進行行兇、殺人、搶劫、強奸、綁架以及其他嚴重危及人身安全的暴力犯罪，采取防衛(wèi)行為，造成不法侵害人傷亡的，不屬于防衛(wèi)過當，不負刑事責任。
If a person employs an act of defense to an immediate violent crime of committing physical assault, homicide, robbery, rape, kidnapping or any other crime seriously endangering the safety of another person, thus causing bodily injury or death to the unlawful infringer, the said act shall not be regarded as a defense that exceeds the limits of necessity, and the said person shall not bear criminal responsibility.

其中，“正當防衛(wèi)明顯超過必要限度造成重大損害的，應當負刑事責任”指的就是“防衛(wèi)過當（excessive defense）”。

在正當防衛(wèi)制度的具體適用上，指導意見還提出了 “十個準確”規(guī)則。例如，要準確把握正當防衛(wèi)的起因條件（causal conditions for justifiable defense）、準確把握正當防衛(wèi)的時間條件（timing of justifiable defense）、準確把握防衛(wèi)過當?shù)囊鈭D條件（intentions of excessive defense）、準確把握防衛(wèi)過當?shù)男塘P裁量（punishment for excessive defense）及特殊防衛(wèi)的認定條件等。

If someone finds that others are causing damage to national or public security, efforts to stop them will also be regarded as self-defense. For example, passengers can stop people trying to grab steering wheels or attack bus drivers while vehicles are in motion, according to the guideline.
指導意見明確，阻止危害國家或公共安全的行為被視為正當防衛(wèi)。比如，在行駛的車輛上，乘客對于正在進行的拉拽方向盤、毆打司機等行為，可以實行防衛(wèi)。

In addition, when a person is attacked by a group of people, he or she can fight back not only against the attackers as self-defense, but also those organizing or instigating the attack at the scene, it added.
對于多人共同實施不法侵害的，既可以針對直接實施不法侵害的人進行防衛(wèi)，也可以針對在現(xiàn)場共同實施不法侵害的人進行防衛(wèi)。

【相關(guān)詞匯】

正當防衛(wèi) justifiable defense

緊急避險 emergency measures

公共秩序 public order

社會治安 social security

以危險方法危害公共安全罪 crime of endangering public security with dangerous method

參考來源：新華網(wǎng)、新京報

（中國日報網(wǎng)英語點津 Helen）