English Dictionary

Nuremberg defense

IPA（発音記号）

/ˈnjʊəɹəmbəːɡ dɪˈfɛns/

名詞

アメリカ英語 慣用表現 広義

(ethics, international law, idiomatic) An explanation offered as an excuse for behaving in a criminal or wrongful manner, claiming that one acted in this way because one was ordered by others (particularly superiors) to do so.

日本語の意味

上官などからの命令に従ったために行った犯罪や不法行為について、自身の行動を弁解する説明（言い逃れ）として用いられる表現

During the inquiry, several officials resorted to the Nuremberg defense, insisting they were only following orders.

調査の間、数人の役人は「私はただ命令に従っただけだ」という弁解に頼り、自分たちは上官の命令に従っただけだと主張した。

意味（1）

(ethics, international law, idiomatic) An explanation offered as an excuse for behaving in a criminal or wrongful manner, claiming that one acted in this way because one was ordered by others (particularly superiors) to do so.

“‘Nuremberg defense’, universally pleaded in war crimes trials,” is in actuality the Nuremberg nondefense, universally rejected in war crimes trials. It is a pity that the law of the Nuremberg Tribunal is so little understood after the passage of nearly a quarter of a century.

意味（2）

(US law, by extension) An explanation offered as a defense to criminal or wrongful behavior, claiming that one is justified in not obeying a governmental order or a domestic law because the order or law is itself unlawful.

A relatively novel legal issue was raised by dissenters who contended that they did not so much oppose war in general as the Viet Nam war in particular. This contention, which became known as the Nuremberg defense, was raised by some young men who did not qualify as conscientious objectors and who were prosecuted for refusing to submit to induction.

Nuremberg defenses （ plural ）