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Legal Principle: Ignorance of fact is excused, but ignorance of law is not excused.
fact: X was a passenger from Zurich to Manila in a Swiss plane. When the plane landed at the airport of Bombay on 28 November 1962, it was found on searching that X carried 34 kg of gold bars in his baggage and that he had not declared it in the 'manifest for transit'. On 26 November 1962, the Government of India had issued a notification modifying it's earlier exemption making it mandatory now that the gold must be declared in a 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?
Most Upvoted Answer
Legal Principle: Ignorance of fact is excused, but ignorance of law is...
Legal Context
In legal terms, the principle of "ignorance of law is no excuse" holds that individuals are expected to know the laws that govern their actions, regardless of their actual knowledge. Conversely, ignorance of fact can sometimes be excused, depending on the circumstances.
Facts of the Case
- X was a passenger on a Swiss plane from Zurich to Manila.
- Upon landing in Bombay on 28 November 1962, X was found carrying 34 kg of gold bars.
- X failed to declare this gold in the manifest for transit.
- A notification from the Government of India had been issued on 26 November 1962, mandating the declaration of gold in the manifest.
Possible Legal Outcomes
- (a) X cannot be prosecuted because he had actual knowledge about the new notification issued two days ago.
- This is incorrect. The timing of the notification does not absolve X of responsibility.
- (b) X cannot be prosecuted because ignorance of fact is excusable.
- This is not applicable since X’s situation relates to ignorance of law, not fact.
- (c) X can be prosecuted because ignorance of law is not excusable.
- Correct. X is responsible for knowing the law regarding the declaration of gold, and failure to comply can lead to prosecution.
- (d) X's liability would depend on the discretion of the court.
- While courts do have discretion, in this case, the established legal principle regarding ignorance of law supports prosecution.
Conclusion
Ultimately, X can be prosecuted for not declaring the gold, as ignorance of law does not excuse compliance failures. The legal framework places the onus of knowledge on the individual, emphasizing the importance of being informed about applicable laws.
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Legal Principle: Ignorance of fact is excused, but ignorance of law is not excused. fact: X was a passenger from Zurich to Manila in a Swiss plane. When the plane landed at the airport of Bombay on 28 November 1962, it was found on searching that X carried 34 kg of gold bars in his baggage and that he had not declared it in the 'manifest for transit'. On 26 November 1962, the Government of India had issued a notification modifying it's earlier exemption making it mandatory now that the gold must be declared in a 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?
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Legal Principle: Ignorance of fact is excused, but ignorance of law is not excused. fact: X was a passenger from Zurich to Manila in a Swiss plane. When the plane landed at the airport of Bombay on 28 November 1962, it was found on searching that X carried 34 kg of gold bars in his baggage and that he had not declared it in the 'manifest for transit'. On 26 November 1962, the Government of India had issued a notification modifying it's earlier exemption making it mandatory now that the gold must be declared in a 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? for CLAT 2025 is part of CLAT preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the CLAT exam syllabus. Information about Legal Principle: Ignorance of fact is excused, but ignorance of law is not excused. fact: X was a passenger from Zurich to Manila in a Swiss plane. When the plane landed at the airport of Bombay on 28 November 1962, it was found on searching that X carried 34 kg of gold bars in his baggage and that he had not declared it in the 'manifest for transit'. On 26 November 1962, the Government of India had issued a notification modifying it's earlier exemption making it mandatory now that the gold must be declared in a 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? covers all topics & solutions for CLAT 2025 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for Legal Principle: Ignorance of fact is excused, but ignorance of law is not excused. fact: X was a passenger from Zurich to Manila in a Swiss plane. When the plane landed at the airport of Bombay on 28 November 1962, it was found on searching that X carried 34 kg of gold bars in his baggage and that he had not declared it in the 'manifest for transit'. On 26 November 1962, the Government of India had issued a notification modifying it's earlier exemption making it mandatory now that the gold must be declared in a 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?.
Solutions for Legal Principle: Ignorance of fact is excused, but ignorance of law is not excused. fact: X was a passenger from Zurich to Manila in a Swiss plane. When the plane landed at the airport of Bombay on 28 November 1962, it was found on searching that X carried 34 kg of gold bars in his baggage and that he had not declared it in the 'manifest for transit'. On 26 November 1962, the Government of India had issued a notification modifying it's earlier exemption making it mandatory now that the gold must be declared in a 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? 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.
Here you can find the meaning of Legal Principle: Ignorance of fact is excused, but ignorance of law is not excused. fact: X was a passenger from Zurich to Manila in a Swiss plane. When the plane landed at the airport of Bombay on 28 November 1962, it was found on searching that X carried 34 kg of gold bars in his baggage and that he had not declared it in the 'manifest for transit'. On 26 November 1962, the Government of India had issued a notification modifying it's earlier exemption making it mandatory now that the gold must be declared in a 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? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of Legal Principle: Ignorance of fact is excused, but ignorance of law is not excused. fact: X was a passenger from Zurich to Manila in a Swiss plane. When the plane landed at the airport of Bombay on 28 November 1962, it was found on searching that X carried 34 kg of gold bars in his baggage and that he had not declared it in the 'manifest for transit'. On 26 November 1962, the Government of India had issued a notification modifying it's earlier exemption making it mandatory now that the gold must be declared in a 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?, a detailed solution for Legal Principle: Ignorance of fact is excused, but ignorance of law is not excused. fact: X was a passenger from Zurich to Manila in a Swiss plane. When the plane landed at the airport of Bombay on 28 November 1962, it was found on searching that X carried 34 kg of gold bars in his baggage and that he had not declared it in the 'manifest for transit'. On 26 November 1962, the Government of India had issued a notification modifying it's earlier exemption making it mandatory now that the gold must be declared in a 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? has been provided alongside types of Legal Principle: Ignorance of fact is excused, but ignorance of law is not excused. fact: X was a passenger from Zurich to Manila in a Swiss plane. When the plane landed at the airport of Bombay on 28 November 1962, it was found on searching that X carried 34 kg of gold bars in his baggage and that he had not declared it in the 'manifest for transit'. On 26 November 1962, the Government of India had issued a notification modifying it's earlier exemption making it mandatory now that the gold must be declared in a 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? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice Legal Principle: Ignorance of fact is excused, but ignorance of law is not excused. fact: X was a passenger from Zurich to Manila in a Swiss plane. When the plane landed at the airport of Bombay on 28 November 1962, it was found on searching that X carried 34 kg of gold bars in his baggage and that he had not declared it in the 'manifest for transit'. On 26 November 1962, the Government of India had issued a notification modifying it's earlier exemption making it mandatory now that the gold must be declared in a 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? tests, examples and also practice CLAT tests.
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