最高人民法院、最高人民檢察院、公安部近日聯合發佈《關於依法適用正當防衞制度的指導意見》，對依法準確適用正當防衞制度作出較為全面系統的規定。
指導意見明確，正當防衞的前提是存在不法侵害。不法侵害既包括侵犯生命、健康權利的行為，也包括侵犯人身自由、公私財產等權利的行為。
【知識點】
正當防衞（justifiable defense），指對正在進行不法侵害行為的人採取的制止不法侵害的行為，對不法侵害人造成一定限度損害的，屬於正當防衞，不負刑事責任。
我國《刑法》第二十條對正當防衞的規定是：
為了使國家、公共利益、本人或者他人的人身、財產和其他權利免受正在進行的不法侵害，而採取的制止不法侵害的行為，對不法侵害人造成損害的，屬於正當防衞，不負刑事責任。
If a person employs an act to stop an unlawful infringement for the purposes of avoiding the said infringement for the State's or the public interest or for his own or another person's right of the person, property right or any other right, thus causing harm to the unlawful infringer, the said act shall be regarded as a justifiable defense and the said person shall not bear criminal responsibility.
正當防衞明顯超過必要限度造成重大損害的，應當負刑事責任，但是應當減輕或者免除處罰。
If a justifiable defense apparently exceeds the limits of necessity, thus causing a serious harm, the person involved shall bear criminal responsibility, but be given a mitigated punishment or be exempt from punishment.
對正在進行行兇、殺人、搶劫、強姦、綁架以及其他嚴重危及人身安全的暴力犯罪，採取防衞行為，造成不法侵害人傷亡的，不屬於防衞過當，不負刑事責任。
If a person employs an act of defense to an immediate violent crime of committing physical assault, homicide, robbery, rape, kidnapping or any other crime seriously endangering the safety of another person, thus causing bodily injury or death to the unlawful infringer, the said act shall not be regarded as a defense that exceeds the limits of necessity, and the said person shall not bear criminal responsibility.
其中，“正當防衞明顯超過必要限度造成重大損害的，應當負刑事責任”指的就是“防衞過當（excessive defense）”。
在正當防衞制度的具體適用上，指導意見還提出了 “十個準確”規則。例如，要準確把握正當防衞的起因條件（causal conditions for justifiable defense）、準確把握正當防衞的時間條件（timing of justifiable defense）、準確把握防衞過當的意圖條件（intentions of excessive defense）、準確把握防衞過當的刑罰裁量（punishment for excessive defense）及特殊防衞的認定條件等。
If someone finds that others are causing damage to national or public security, efforts to stop them will also be regarded as self-defense. For example, passengers can stop people trying to grab steering wheels or attack bus drivers while vehicles are in motion, according to the guideline.
指導意見明確，阻止危害國家或公共安全的行為被視為正當防衞。比如，在行駛的車輛上，乘客對於正在進行的拉拽方向盤、毆打司機等行為，可以實行防衞。
In addition, when a person is attacked by a group of people, he or she can fight back not only against the attackers as self-defense, but also those organizing or instigating the attack at the scene, it added.
對於多人共同實施不法侵害的，既可以針對直接實施不法侵害的人進行防衞，也可以針對在現場共同實施不法侵害的人進行防衞。
【相關詞彙】
正當防衞 justifiable defense
緊急避險 emergency measures
公共秩序 public order
社會治安 social security
以危險方法危害公共安全罪 crime of endangering public security with dangerous method
參考來源：新華網、新京報
（中國日報網英語點津 Helen）
來源：中國日報網