Canon 1324. §1 The perpetrator of a violation is not exempted from penalty, but the penalty prescribed in the law or precept must be diminished, or a penance substituted in its place, if the offence was committed by:

1° one who had only an imperfect use of reason;

2° one who was lacking the use of reason because of culpable drunkenness or other mental disturbance of a similar kind, without prejudice to the provision of can. 1326 §1 n.
4;

3° one who acted in the heat of passion which, while serious, nevertheless did not precede or hinder all mental deliberation and consent of the will, provided that the passion itself had not been deliberately stimulated or nourished;

4° a minor who has completed the sixteenth year of age;

5° one who was compelled by grave fear, even if only relative, or who acted by reason of necessity or grave inconvenience, if the offence is intrinsically evil or tends to be harmful to souls;

6° one who acted in lawful self-defence or defence of another against an unjust aggressor, but did not observe due moderation;

7° one who acted against another person who was gravely and unjustly provocative;

8° one who erroneously, but culpably, thought that some one of the circumstances existed which are mentioned in can. 1323 nn. 4 or 5;

9° one who through no personal fault was unaware that a penalty was attached to the law or precept;

10° one who acted without full imputability, provided it remained grave.

§2 A judge can do the same if there is any other circumstance present which would reduce the gravity of the offence.

§3 In the circumstances mentioned in §1, the offender is not bound by a latae sententiae penalty, but may have lesser penalties or penances imposed for the purposes of repentance or repair of scandal.

§1. Violationis auctor non eximitur a poena, sed poena lege vel praecepto statuta temperari debet vel in eius locum paenitentia adhiberi, si delictum patratum sit:

1° ab eo, qui rationis usum imperfectum tantum habuerit;

2° ab eo qui rationis usu carebat propter ebrietatem aliamve similem mentis perturbationem, quae culpabilis fuerit, firmo praescripto can. 1326,§1, n. 4;

3° ex gravi passionis aestu, qui non omnem tamen mentis deliberationem et voluntatis consensum praecesserit et impedierit, et dummodo passio ipsa ne fuerit voluntarie excitata vel nutrita;

4° a minore, qui aetatem sedecim annorum explevit;

5° ab eo, qui metu gravi, quamvis relative tantum, coactus est, aut ex necessitate vel gravi incommodo egit, si delictum sit intrinsece malum vel in animarum damnum vergat;

6° ab eo, qui legitimae tutelae causa contra iniustum sui vel alterius aggressorem egit, nec tamen debitum servavit moderamen;

7° adversus aliquem graviter et iniuste provocantem;

8° ab eo, qui per errorem, ex sua tamen culpa, putavit aliquam adesse ex circumstantiis, de quibus in can. 1323, nn. 4 vel 5;

9° ab eo, qui sine culpa ignoravit poenam legi vel praecepto esse adnexam;

10° ab eo, qui egit sine plena imputabilitate, dummodo haec gravis permanserit.

§2. Idem potest iudex facere, si qua alia adsit circumstantia, quae delicti gravitatem deminuat.

§3. In circumstantiis, de quibus in§1, reus poena latae sententiae non tenetur, attamen ad resipiscentiam vel ad scandali reparationem, ipsi poenae mitiores irrogari vel poenitentiae applicari possunt.