"Igorance is no defense" is one that has always bothered me. Judges and lawyers spend years studying the law and even they don't know everything, yet we, the public, are expected to know what is right and what is wrong with zero training. UK law seems tilted in the ciminal's favour and also seems to be a complete ass.

It's very simple... Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6. Reasonable force is ANYTHING THAT KEEPS YOU ALIVE.

So to cut a long story short, the law is completely riddled with loopholes and inconsistencies, causing the victims to be utterly defenceless.

the best thing I learned while working alongside the police is to make sure in your statement that you tell them how scared you were and fearful at the time you used force. emotional stress, adrenaline and being scared carry a lot of weight when it comes to having to justify your actions.

If I need to defend myself I will do it regardless of the what the law says it’s my life at the end of the day it’s not the countries or the laws.

Interesting how this all goes out the window when cops beat the crap out of someone.

Note: The music at the start was painfully loud and drowned out your voice

Seems that the law protects the bad people. If you break into someone's home while the home owner is in, no matter your intent, all bets are off. If the home own kills you well tough, don't go breaking into their home then.

I was arrested and questioned 25 years ago. It was self defence. I did strike first. Released then for further enquiries. Cops listened to my side of the story, then confronted my accuser he melted.. I was released from bail nfa. Thank god they actually listened to me.

So if someone attacks me with a frying pan, would I have to think through all eight minutes of this video before I could defend myself?

It is very frustrating. A vulnerable person has little chance against someone who is big and tough or works as a group. I tend to remove myself from situations when I see it is iffy but when I get older, I won't be able to do this.

I had a break in a few years ago, i was being threatened with murder and kidnap in my own home, it staggers me that if i had used force to defend myself, my property and my family then i could of ended up in trouble too, that single event makes me want to have the right to defend myself but even if i had that right there is no legal way of really doing it

As a UK resident US person (and licensed to carry a concealed pistol in several states of the US) I find the UK laws regarding self-defense to be insane, and put criminals on the same footing as non-criminals. My stepson-in-law told me that if you're being attacked in the UK by a mugger, you need to be careful not to call him/her bad names, or you might get in trouble for causing offense. If you survive the attack, that is.

The main issue with self defense is the jury , and been judged by your peers. Trrouble is they aren't your peers a lifetime of martial arts movies means the general public think martial artists must be able to do some mystical power to subdue an attacker safely . After 30 years doing numerous martial arts I know there is no such thing .

I had an honest held belief that I and others were in iminant danger so took action to end the danger using reasonable force.

Glad thats cleared that up. Now I know if I'm being brutally attacked by someone and there's a handy brick nearby I won't go near it for fear of using excessive force. Thanks UK legal system. You're the tops!!!

Yes, I always ask my attacker to wait for a while whilst I carry out a proportionate-response assessment and then a risk assessment after that, then I inform him that he may continue the attack.

Simple and quick solution to ensure you can defend yourself in the UK, DONT CALL THE POLICE AFTERWARDS,

I really appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge. Thank you and keep up the good work.

A complicated point of law easily explained here. Often is the case where the victim becomes the defendant in the eyes of the law. Thank you again for taking your time explaining. Much appreciated. 👍

0:40 Whilst Pava or CS gas is illegal in the UK, paint or dye isn't. So you can use a product such as Farbgel which is a red dye which takes days to wash off. It doesn't harm the attacker but it does make them identifiable and also makes them think twice.

In a self defense situation, it is best to get out intact. A judge won't kick you in the head, while you are on the ground.

Prison is better than being dead so couple years in jail for protecting for self got to be a win no!! 👍🏻

That is one good bit of the law, you can defend before you even get hit, by using body language or threats etc.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, best channel.on you tube. You learn so much within a short space of time. Thanks again. 👍

So basically you’ve got to wait until you seriously hurt to defend against murder

In winter months Iam usually walking to and from work at silly hrs, and I look at it like this, I am not going down without a fight, if iam set apon. I hold the other person responsable for the injuries they will receive, even if the Law does not.

"Offensive weapon...."...Where the law departs from commonsense. The definition of which is yet another example of how you need at least an A-Level in UK law to avoid inadvertently committing a crime.

7:20mins... That's all you need to remember when you feel under physical threat, be first, be fast, and be ferocious when talking or evasion are no longer options.

Fantastic and very insightful video.

So, the best reaction for an attempt on your life is to fatally stop the attacker, because no-one has the power to decide how much force to use, when under duress and adrenaline rush, to meet all the convoluted laws imposed. Then get rid of the body in such a way, it will be impossible to recover or will take so long before it is found that you have lived a happy stress free life and died of old age in you sleep. I rest my case your Honor

Fascinating and useful. Thank you.

While living in Leytonstone, London I've seen an approximately 17-year-old black youth repeatedly stab an elderly man in his face for refusing to move from his front seat in a double-deck bus, Pretty sure the elderly man lost his eye in that attack, nearly his Life. But yet UK law states the you can't carry a weapon to defend yourself. Ridiculous

Lawyers mind games. How in hell am I to tell if an attacker is not trying to kill me (even if accidentally) and use appropriate force. UK law has become bonkers.

I walk my dogs all hours of the day and night - basically when I'm able. Don't carry a weapon but the dog has a very heavy chain lead. I also need a torch, to see where I'm going - a very heavy one!

Keep up the good work… Bless you.

With cases of police brutality currently in the media, what would be the situation if you were being unlawfully assaulted by a police officer (that you knew to be a police officer) and you fought back (perhaps because you feared serious injury)? Obviously, in reality, you would be tasered, restrained and charged with assaulting a police officer. But, for the sake of argument, if you did manage to disarm and disable a police officer that you could show was using unreasonable force and a potentially dangerous level of violence toward you, would you still be charged with assaulting a police officer or would self defence stand?

If someone attacks you either singly or in a group then it is you have the right to defend yourself from injury using whatever force is necessary to repel them .. At the end of the day you don't know if they will seriously harm you or even kill you... The law says if memory serves: retreat until you can no longer retreat.. If you can no longer retreat and are trapped in fear of your life then it is for certain you can use whatever deadly force available to escape...

Love the cheeky telescope in the background.

Brilliant ! Take heed people.... Never cross that line..

Also like 12 angry men movie , the jury might not understand the questions or and be smart enough to determine if someone is bad or not, the system is crazy. What sort of crazy person would make a system where many idiots can be part of a jury.

Very informative.

English law on use of lawful force in self defence is wholly unrealistic and impractical. It adopts as its starting point a 20/20 hindsight approach to judge "proportionate" force in any given situation without any or proper regard for the fear and uncertainty faced by a victim of violence.

In other words, if someone attacks you just lay down and play dead, the poor unfortunate attacker will say that he's good to his invalid mother and suffers from being victimised, he'll get let off with community service and you'll get a life sentence of flashbacks and pain!

Good videos these Cheers

My safety > The law

There have been a lot of cases of police attacking protersters with batons. It would seem reasonable to use, say, a walking stick or baton of some kind to defend oneself against a police officer using a baton as an offensive weapon.

If you can walk away from a fight do so! Thankyou for sharing very interesting,

Very clear info about the law ,, 👌👌👌👌👌

i laughed so hard when you said if someone pushes you and you smash them in the face with a brick is not reasonable, literally creasing lol

I really enjoy a real lawyer reacts series on legal Eagles change. It's cort room accuracy. A uk sentric series would be good

Thanking you once again

People are losing their jobs and this guy is talking about the highway code. Marvellous

What is "reasonable force" when you find yourself surrounded by up to half a dozen toughs who obviously intend to rob you,beat you up,or even "accidentally" kill you? And if somebody is carrying a weapon in the first place they clearly mean to use it. In the time the attack is taking place it is almost impossible to judge the severity or outcome,instant reaction being the life saving reaction. Very few people are used to being attacked or provoked in any way,so how can they be expected to react "appropriately"? The atmosphere in a courtroom discussing the incident possibly several months later can have no bearing whatsoever on the incident itself. Not only that,but by that time the "facts" surrounding the attack will have been distorted to such an extent that any justice will be impossible.

If anyone breaks into your home, they are fair game for any amount of force, including lethal force. Sadly, in the UK, you are unlikely to be backed up by the court system. They have forfeited their Article 2 rights, once they enter your home.

Thanks for taking the time to post.these videos Sir. I find them very interesting and informative. Would owning and using a sturdy, perhaps "tactical" umbrella, in self defense be allowable?

Thanks for taking the time to make videos with such clear and easily understood content. One question though, is the idea of reasonable force dependant on level of training - would it be different for someone with martial/military training compared to a typical member of the public?

I would add a personal story.If a police officer is trying to arrest you and disregard that you are calling emergency services as you are feeling sick ; if he insist to arrest you and obstructs you from talking to emergency services ; if you punch them or shove them in the process is can be considered self defense.

A friend of mine was held up at knife point at his news paper shop in Sydney Australia. He pulled a baseball bat from under his counter and the attacker took off out of the shop. he chased him down the street and struck the offender on the jaw. As fate goes, my former boss a sergeant stationed in the local area and attended the scene, and called for immediate medical attention for the offender. The offender was laying on the pavement he was in a bad state.But unfortunately at the time the law allowed the offender to sue my friend for the injuries he sustained from the attempted robbery. My friend lost his house due to to the compensation claimed by the offender. The law has now changed where an offender cannot profit from the proceeds of a crime. A bit of a judicial chane but a bit too late for my friend.

Dual.purpose items , when walking the dog I carry a cree metal torch, it helps.me see where I'm going main purpose . It's also powerful enough to temporarily blind the attacker to five time to escape failing that it's perfect for aiding striking .

A wine bar I used to use was attacked one night by a gang of thugs from the boxing fraternity who started multiple fights with customers, one jumped over the bar & tried to stab the bar manager, he grabbed the knife they used to slice lemons & stabbed the guy multiple times killing him. Jury acquitted him on self defence grounds. I wasn't there that night but a friend witnessed it from 2 or 3 arm lengths away. On the day of the dead mans funeral his friends threw a Molotov cocktail through the bar window & burned it down.

I find your vids very interesting and informative however, on this one I have to say the point re reasonable force must have been madeby someone who had obviously never been attacked. When attacked I suspect the last thing on most peoples mind is "am I using reasonable force and will I be able to prove that if I get out of this alive". :-(

so this doesn't apply to our police force who go over the top dishing it out to the innocent, for that what we all are il the eyes of the law until proven otherwise..

Wait, it's possible for a jury to conclude that a defendant didn't use "reasonable" force but still did not intend to kill (or cause GBH) what would the verdict be if they were charged with murder? Why would anyone "raise" self-defence, the burden to prove intent to kill seems to be removed and replaced with a new burden to prove force was "unreasonable" which sounds really vague, it varies massively from person to person what sort of force is or is not reasonable.

Carry a small super bright flash light, and record on your phone if you are in an altercation. Clearly tell the aggressor you will defend yourself unless they go away

And I just love how all this is like a rehearsal on how/ what to do, what bullshit. No one knows how their gonna act in these situations.

some other myths disproven ; the prevention of crime act 1953 (offensive weapons ) do not apply to a private place . A space behind a shop counter and a front garden are private places you can use firearms in self defence however if you dont have a certificate you will be liable to weapons charges also you if you carry a weapon in a public place for self defence you do NOT lose your right to self defence but will face weapon charges - R vs Fagan 1973 no duty to retreat US castle doctrine is based on English self defence law the banning of carrying anything for self defence does not affect the criminal . It leave the law abiding totally at the mercy of street robber etc because criminals do carry weapons regardless of what the law says . The very least pepper spray should be made legal to carry just like in much of Europe ! some EU countries allow carrying tazers etc and they have a lower violent crime then the UK - just one example is the check republic

Basic rule of thumb, if they kill you, then you are within your rights to use something as a weapon or extreme force!

tbh the propotional force aspect is a total farce, if someone is attacking you, you dont know if they are gna get worse and worse, so its always best to disarm or disengage them, even if that means your force is not "proportional". Better them than you. It is your life, not the laws life, do as you please.

Congratulations; you've proved the law in the UK is an ass and not fit for purpose.

Can you please give your thoughts about this? I had to use self defence yesterday, an 80 something year old neighbour ( I'm 42) woke me up at 5am in the morning making loads of noise outside (it's not the first time and I have asked him loads to wait for a reasonable time) this time was the earliest he has done it so I wasn't happy and used bad language which I'm not happy about, he raised a yard brush and went to hit me, I backed up and he lowered it, I then warned him if he tries it again I will defend myself, after a few more words I started walking away, I then heard him coming up behind me and saying he is going to knock me f-ing out, I turn my head and seen him about to hit me with the brush again so I quickly pushed him, he fell to the ground and apparently he has cuts on his back. I was recording on my phone the whole time and it's not a very good recording but what he says and for a second shows him behind me with the brush raised are shown. I was planning on reporting him for attempted assault, is this a good idea or should I just forget about it? I suffer from anxiety so last thing I want is to end up been arrested if the police take his side because of his age, I did take into account his age when defending myself which is why I pushed him instead of a punch

In defence of a defendant using self defence as a defence, the people should agree to defend the right to defend that defendant. Don't mean to cause personal offence when I'm offensively defending the rights of a defendant. Great vid as always, appreciate the info. 😁

I’ve got a question as a practitioner of the martial arts you are probably well aware that the most vulnerable time during an altercation is when we turn our back however in law one of the things looked at is whether or not we tried to walk away, how do you reconcile that as a martial arts practitioner and a barrister?

A very concise explanation. Presumably the "Code G - Necessities For Arrest" under PACE 1984 apply for a "citizen's arrest" under Section 24A of PACE1984?

Always enjoy your vid! Great information Here one for you. If I go and knock on someone house to try and peaceful sort things out. When things turn heated and the occupant of the house comes out towards me very aggressive in my face. Am I right to push him back out of my personal space to keep a safe distance?

Also another thing if there is no evidence of the victim or attacker, but the attacker is more damaged, how can they pick who the attacker is and who is not, this is when they should use a brain scam and lie detector test like a polygraph etc. But yes cctv with audio should be in most public places to avoid other waste being used. Because it is not fair for some innocent person being put in prison or fined because there is no evidence.

Why is a rape alarm even considered a 'self defence product', no one takes any notice of them.

Germany’s self defence laws are what we should follow. Maybe do a video on that as a comparison

Question I am keen to have answered: Walking back home from the gym last sunday a man about my age (extremly drunk and still holding a plastic cup in his hand) was walking in my direction ( this is on the highstreet and he was heading the other direction presumably). However, once he got closer to me he very randomly went out of his way to block me from walking past him and was essentially, what can only be discribed as growling. Now, i took my headphones out and very aggrssively asked what he was doing and what was wrong with him and he VERY lightly punched me in the stomach (I'm talking more of a tap if anything. Not at all painful and honestly zero actual force seemed to be applied) - but both his fists were clenched none the less. Now, I opted for grabbing his wrist and holding it down and asking what his problem was and probably threatening him (tbf i can't really remember). However, I thought many times in this 30 or so seconds of either headbutting him or choking him out. As, at the end of the day, he was in my personal space and was posturing aggressively and how am I supposed to know if he was carrying a knife etc? I have, until watching this video, been under the illusion that I had to wait for this person to swing a proper punch at me first, before I could do anything about this (So thank you for this video). However it has been bugging me since then, as I feel I shouldn't have even let him get this close to me and I shouldn't have taken the high road. Not to sound like knob, but I am above average in size and have boxed for a few years and have some experience grappling, so I think it was more the fact that I was confident enough that because of how drunk he was, if he did swing for me I would have flattened him; so I didn't do the things I have thinking of/wanting to do. But anyway, context now given, what did I have the right to do in this situation legally? Could I have choked him till he was unconcious and gotten someone to call the police while i held him down? Or, was holding his wrist down and ultimately walking away while calling him classic english insults like p**** the right thing to do? Sorry I appreicate this is a long winded comment but, I really am eager to know what I should/could have done. I hate how soft we've become as a country and the whole thing has left me quite annoyed. I can't believe I let someone get that close to me and risked my own safety, because I was worried that I would end up being the one done for assault and had work the next day lol.

Never leave home without a tickling stick.

The fact you cannot carry a weapon to defend yourself disgusts me at a core level.

A couple of weeks ago a 14 year old was stabbed near West Croydon Station. He managed to walk to the hospital but died there .I wonder what section of what act would have saved him .?

The law seems so unfair and seems to protect criminals. As a woman, how am I supposed to use so-called "reasonable force" against a man twice my size, or even just the average man attacking me? The average man is much stronger than the average women and I think people vastly underestimate this, I'm hardly going to be able to punch or wrestle him and I may not even be able to escape. But if I grab something within reach to hit him with and seriously injure and/or kill him that would be considered excessive even if I genuinely feared for my life.

Recently a man killed 3 people in self defence and faced no charges, its a very interesting case look the guy up: Gurjeet Singh from London - in my opinion this case is a win for self defence here in the UK

6 degree black belt and a barrister. If you ever lose your sight you basically become Dare Devil.

The perception of the potential attack against me was jisted on my subjective view of what it might be. The amount of force I use to resolve the situation used to be judged using an objective standard. Has this changed? You noted rhat it is not for others to look back on the force I used in defence and should be based on my perception? Apologies if I have not comprehended properly(time mentioned, around 3 minutes)

Please do one on equity and.trust ie tracing or company law

Tell us about Jury Nullification

One of the best government systems for the rights of self defence is the Czech Republic, the Czech Republic actual respect a persons right to defend their lives from violence, so much so that a new law has just been passed in the Czech Republic to allow the citizens of the Czech Republic to own fully automatic machine guns fr home defence.

I got a hmrc automated phone call today,telling me if I didn’t press number 1 after listening to the voicemail,there would be a warrant issued and I would be arrested,I was getting a bit worried,should I ignore the call or work out an arrange plan,so I wouldn’t get bumped as I wouldn’t have sent money to them,and if I did ignore them,i would have got anxious worrying about a warrant which didn’t exist ,glad I got the problem resolved

If i’ve already been attacked, left permanently disfigured and the guy who done it went on to commit murder, where do i stand if he’s ever released and comes anywhere near my home? It says i can use an object, is that correct?

Thankyou for explaining. I’ve been try to convince my nephew that a “training” butterfly knife ( used just for tricks ) could still be classed as an offensive weapon. You have helped my argument. Thankyou

Does your actions after defending yourself effect the outcome . For me if I’m being violently attacked then for me the ideal way to defend yourself is to neutralise the attacker as quick as possible ( maybe by using force that could be seen as excessive ) but once the threat is neutralised you immediately give them first aid and call emergency services and stay with the attacker until police and paramedics arrive ?

If you carry a small compact torch which could be used to blind a potential attacker or used as a weapon - is that legal?

would you be able to do a video on cannabis possession and personal use? I feel like it is not very clear as different people say different things about how much you can possess for different punishments and so on, also things like the canna card? which is supposed to prevent you from any punishments to do with possession of cannabis

What are the laws on if someone breaks into your house while you are there? Are you allowed to restrain until the police arrive?

Question - if someone pulls a knife on me & I manage to disarm them, but in the course of disarming them, break their wrist, is that considered excessive force. Of course, I would attempt to get away from them first & would only attempt the disarm as a last resort.

BBB - does the persons “state” make a difference to this? I am personally badly disabled and a stiff breeze would blow me over. Someone just shoving me could end very badly for me indeed given my spine disease. I potentially could “over react” as some may see it. I can’t run away and the issue here is starting on a level playing field as it were.

The best weapon to carry for self defense is a 6D Maglight.

can you do a video on misconduct in a public office please!!