No guilt attaches to him who is compelled to obey.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) A soldier obeying a lawful order, or a servant acting under his master's command, bears no fault for the consequences — compulsion negates personal culpability.

Where this applies

• A soldier ordered by his commanding officer to destroy a bridge during wartime cannot be held personally guilty for the property damage.
• A bank teller forced at gunpoint to hand over money bears no criminal liability for the loss.
• A servant who delivers a package on his master's orders cannot be blamed when the package turns out to contain contraband he knew nothing about.