LEGITIMA APÃRARE - PROBLEME DE DREPT sI ETICÃ PRIVIND OBIECTUL ATACULUI/SELF DEFENCE - LAW AND ETHICS ISSUES ON THE OBJECT OF THE ATTACK

This paper brings to the forefront a number of law and ethics issues on the object of the attack in the case of self-defence. A first issue concerns the elucidation of that mental mechanism, an "animus defendendi" which causes the individual to intervene in defense of a third person or their rights. Of particular interest is the acknowledging of the existence of legitimate defence in favor of an unborn child. It is also envisioned the issue of suicide, euthanasia, assisted death or the discontinuation of a treatment. All these issues, due to their heavy emotional load, have triggered off profound legal and moralChristian controversies, resulting in the most diverse legislative solutions both globally and in Europe. In terms of forming a relevant and wellfounded point of view, we considered different European legislations, placing, however, the emphasis on the position of the European Court of Human Rights.