Castle Defense
'Castle law' redirects here. For the hill in Scotland, see.A castle doctrine, also known as a castle law or a defense of habitation law, is a legal doctrine that designates a person's abode or any legally occupied place (for example, a vehicle or home) as a place in which that person has protections and immunities permitting one, in certain circumstances, to use force (up to and including ) to defend oneself against an intruder, free from legal prosecution for the consequences of the force used. The term is most commonly used in the, though many other countries (see below) invoke comparable principles in their laws.A person may have a to avoid violence if one can reasonably do so. Castle doctrines lessen the duty to retreat when an individual is assaulted within one's own home. Deadly force may either be, the and for charges impeded, or an against applicable, in cases 'when the actor reasonably fears of death or serious bodily harm to him or herself or another'. The castle doctrine is not a defined law that can be invoked, but a set of principles which may be incorporated in some form in many jurisdictions.