duty to retreat

American  

[doo-tee tuh ri-treet, dyoo-tee] / ˈdu ti tə rɪˈtrit, ˈdyu ti /

noun

Law.

1. a legal principle that requires a person as a first response to back away or flee from a threatening situation rather than attempt self-defense by deadly force.

   Duty to retreat has always been a debatable doctrine.

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Etymology

Origin of duty to retreat

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

Using a 2024 analysis by Rand, a nonprofit research group, the Journal classified 30 states as having stand-your-ground laws if statutes explicitly eliminate the duty to retreat in public places and allow individuals to use deadly force if they reasonably believe they face imminent death or serious harm.

From The Wall Street Journal

Under stand-your-ground laws, a person no longer had the duty to retreat in any place they were legally allowed to be.

From The Wall Street Journal

Nebraska is among a handful of states where the law says a person has a duty to retreat from threat if they can do so safely before using deadly force, with the exception of a person’s home or workplace.

From Seattle Times

New York does have the castle doctrine, which removes the duty to retreat when you’re inside the home.

From Slate

Now, there was something early on called the castle doctrine, which was the idea that if you were in your house, you did not have the duty to retreat.

From Slate