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Principle: Ignorance of Fact is excused but ignorance of law is no excuse
Fact: X was a passenger from Zurich to Manila in a Swiss Plane. When the plane landed at the Airport of Mumbai on 28 Nov. 1962 it was found on searching that X carried 34 kg of Gold Bars on his person and that he had not declared it in the ‘Manifest for Transit’. On 26th Nov. 1962 the Government of India had issued a notification modifying its earlier exemption, making it mandatory now that the gold must be declared in the “Manifest” of the aircraft.
  • a)
    X cannot be prosecuted because he had actually no knowledge about the new notification issued two days ago
  • b)
    X cannot be prosecuted because ignorance of fact is excusable
  • c)
    X can be prosecuted because ignorance of law is not excusable
  • d)
    X’s liability would depend on the discretion of the court
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
Most Upvoted Answer
Principle: Ignorance of Fact is excused but ignorance of law is no ex...
Ignorantia Juris non-excusat or ignorantia legis neminem excusat which means ignorance of the law excuses not and ignorance of the law excuses no one in Latin, respectively. It is a legal principle holding that a person who is unaware of a law may not escape liability for violating that law merely because one was unaware of its content.
Hence, X can be prosecuted because ignorance of the law is not excusable.
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Principle: Ignorance of Fact is excused but ignorance of law is no ex...
Ignorance of Law vs Ignorance of Fact:
Ignorance of law is generally not considered a valid excuse for committing a crime. In this case, X can be prosecuted even if he was unaware of the new notification issued by the Government of India.

Legal Principle Application:
X can be prosecuted because ignorance of law is not excusable. Despite X not knowing about the new notification, the law still holds him accountable for not declaring the gold bars in the aircraft manifest.

Case Specifics:
X's lack of knowledge about the notification does not absolve him of the legal requirement to declare the gold. The fact that X was unaware of the new law does not negate his responsibility to comply with it.

Court Decision:
X's liability in this situation would likely be determined by the court, taking into account the legal principle that ignorance of law is not an excuse. The court would consider the circumstances of the case and the applicable laws to decide on the appropriate course of action.
In conclusion, X can be prosecuted for not declaring the gold bars in the aircraft manifest, even if he was unaware of the new notification issued by the Government of India. Ignorance of law is generally not a valid defense in such cases.
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Principle: Ignorance of Fact is excused but ignorance of law is no excuseFact: X was a passenger from Zurich to Manila in a Swiss Plane. When the plane landed at the Airport of Mumbai on 28 Nov. 1962 it was found on searching that X carried 34 kg of Gold Bars on his person and that he had not declared it in the ‘Manifest for Transit’. On 26th Nov. 1962 the Government of India had issued a notification modifying its earlier exemption, making it mandatory now that the gold must be declared in the “Manifest” of the aircraft.a)X cannot be prosecuted because he had actually no knowledge about the new notification issued two days agob)X cannot be prosecuted because ignorance of fact is excusablec)X can be prosecuted because ignorance of law is not excusabled)X’s liability would depend on the discretion of the courtCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
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Principle: Ignorance of Fact is excused but ignorance of law is no excuseFact: X was a passenger from Zurich to Manila in a Swiss Plane. When the plane landed at the Airport of Mumbai on 28 Nov. 1962 it was found on searching that X carried 34 kg of Gold Bars on his person and that he had not declared it in the ‘Manifest for Transit’. On 26th Nov. 1962 the Government of India had issued a notification modifying its earlier exemption, making it mandatory now that the gold must be declared in the “Manifest” of the aircraft.a)X cannot be prosecuted because he had actually no knowledge about the new notification issued two days agob)X cannot be prosecuted because ignorance of fact is excusablec)X can be prosecuted because ignorance of law is not excusabled)X’s liability would depend on the discretion of the courtCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? for CLAT 2025 is part of CLAT preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the CLAT exam syllabus. Information about Principle: Ignorance of Fact is excused but ignorance of law is no excuseFact: X was a passenger from Zurich to Manila in a Swiss Plane. When the plane landed at the Airport of Mumbai on 28 Nov. 1962 it was found on searching that X carried 34 kg of Gold Bars on his person and that he had not declared it in the ‘Manifest for Transit’. On 26th Nov. 1962 the Government of India had issued a notification modifying its earlier exemption, making it mandatory now that the gold must be declared in the “Manifest” of the aircraft.a)X cannot be prosecuted because he had actually no knowledge about the new notification issued two days agob)X cannot be prosecuted because ignorance of fact is excusablec)X can be prosecuted because ignorance of law is not excusabled)X’s liability would depend on the discretion of the courtCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for CLAT 2025 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for Principle: Ignorance of Fact is excused but ignorance of law is no excuseFact: X was a passenger from Zurich to Manila in a Swiss Plane. When the plane landed at the Airport of Mumbai on 28 Nov. 1962 it was found on searching that X carried 34 kg of Gold Bars on his person and that he had not declared it in the ‘Manifest for Transit’. On 26th Nov. 1962 the Government of India had issued a notification modifying its earlier exemption, making it mandatory now that the gold must be declared in the “Manifest” of the aircraft.a)X cannot be prosecuted because he had actually no knowledge about the new notification issued two days agob)X cannot be prosecuted because ignorance of fact is excusablec)X can be prosecuted because ignorance of law is not excusabled)X’s liability would depend on the discretion of the courtCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?.
Solutions for Principle: Ignorance of Fact is excused but ignorance of law is no excuseFact: X was a passenger from Zurich to Manila in a Swiss Plane. When the plane landed at the Airport of Mumbai on 28 Nov. 1962 it was found on searching that X carried 34 kg of Gold Bars on his person and that he had not declared it in the ‘Manifest for Transit’. On 26th Nov. 1962 the Government of India had issued a notification modifying its earlier exemption, making it mandatory now that the gold must be declared in the “Manifest” of the aircraft.a)X cannot be prosecuted because he had actually no knowledge about the new notification issued two days agob)X cannot be prosecuted because ignorance of fact is excusablec)X can be prosecuted because ignorance of law is not excusabled)X’s liability would depend on the discretion of the courtCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for CLAT. Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for CLAT Exam by signing up for free.
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