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Section 20

Unlawfully and maliciously wounding

wounding  That simply means breaking the skin.  Any cut is a wound. It is not disputed that the D** wounded C**.

maliciously  That means that a defendant intended to cause some injury.  It is enough that a defendant foresees that some physical harm might result from his action. This is not in issue in this case.

unlawfully   That means without any legal excuse.

This brings us to the key issue in this case -  self defence.

If someone is acting in self defence he or she is acting lawfully.

If he or she is not acting in self defence, he or she is acting unlawfully.

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