15.62 Elements of Defense: Affirmative Defenses is a term used to describe a legal defense that is used to justify a defendant's alleged wrongful actions. It can be used to show that the defendant did not commit an act or that the act was justified or excusable. Types of affirmative defenses include self-defense, necessity, insanity, entrapment, duress, and statute of limitations. Affirmative defenses must be proved by the defendant, and are typically raised in civil cases.