PPC § 81 — Act likely to cause harm, but done without criminal intent, and to prevent other

Statutory text (English)

harm. Nothing is an offence merely by reason of its being done with the knowledge that it is likely to
cause harm, if it be done without any criminal intention to cause harm, and in good faith for the purpose
of preventing or avoiding other harm to person or property.

Explanation.— It is a question of fact in such a case whether the harm to be prevented or
avoided was of such a nature and so imminent as to justify or excuse the risk of doing the act with the
knowledge that it was likely to cause harm.
Illustrations
(a) A, the captain of a steam vessel, suddenly and without any fault or negligence on his
part, finds himself in such a position that, before he can stop his vessel, he must
inevitably run down a boat B, with twenty or thirty passengers on board, unless he
changes the course of his vessel, and that, by changing his course, he must incur risk of
running down a boat C with only two passengers on board, which he may possibly clear.
Here, if A alters his course without any intention to run down the boat C and in good
faith for the purpose of avoiding the danger to the passengers in the boat B, he is not
guilty of an offence, though he may run down the boat C by doing an act which he knew
was likely to cause that effect, if it be found as a matter of fact that the danger which
he intended to avoid was such as to excuse him in incurring the risk of running down
C.
(b) A, in a great fire, pulls down houses in order to prevent the conflagration from
spreading. He does this with the intention in good faith of saving human life or property.
Here, if it be found that the harm to be prevented was of such a nature and so imminent
as to excuse A’s act, A is not guilty of the offence.

Source and verification

Source citation: PPC (Act XLV of 1860) s.81: Pakistan Code portal consolidated official PDF 'THE PAKISTAN PENAL CODE' (Act No. XLV of 1860), p. 45, ingested 2026-09-15. Automated transcription from official source (pypdf extraction, audited artifact repair); human admin re-check required before production.

Verification status: verified · Text status: auto_transcribed_verified_source

The record cites an official source, but its transcription is automated or only partly checked; a human re-check is pending.

Official Urdu text status: pending_official_urdu_text. Where official Urdu wording has not been sourced, Qanoon does not substitute an unverified translation for the statutory text.

Historical text notes

1 historical record is linked to this section. Historical wording may be incomplete or pending verification; it is not presented as current law.

• Date not confirmed: Consolidated current text as published in the official Pakistan Code PDF (p. 45) — reflects all amendments recorded in the official footnotes up to ingest date 2026-09-15. Automated transcription; per-amendment version…

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