Under criminal law, when can consent to physical contact be a defence to assault?

• A. Consent to physical contact negates liability in all assault cases.
• B. Consent to physical contact can negate liability if not excessive.
• C. Consent to physical contact can negate liability for grievous harm.
• D. Consent is never a defence in any assault case.

Answer: (B)

Consent to physical contact can negate liability when the contact is within what the person agreed to and the force used is not excessive. In criminal law, assault involves unlawful force, but if the person consents to the contact and the act stays within the boundaries of that consent, the contact may not be unlawful. The key is that the consent covers the type and level of contact and the harm isn’t beyond what was agreed. For example, in many sports or medical contexts, participants consent to contact or touch; if someone goes beyond what was permitted or uses excessive force, the defence no longer applies. This is why the statement that consent can negate liability “if not excessive” best captures how consent works as a defence. The other options are too broad or incorrect: consent isn’t a blanket shield in all assault cases, nor does it always apply to grievous harm, and there are situations where consent isn’t a valid defence at all.