Which statement about battery is correct in the described cases?

• A. Battery requires non-consensual contact, even if no injury occurs
• B. Battery requires injury to be charged
• C. Battery is the same as false imprisonment
• D. Battery only applies to property

Answer: (A)

Battery involves intentional, harmful or offensive contact with another person that is not consented to. The crucial element here is non‑consensual contact, and it does not require any actual injury to occur. Even a light, unwanted touch can be battery if it’s offensive in nature. If the person consents to the touch, there is no battery. This differs from false imprisonment, which concerns unlawful restraint of a person’s freedom of movement, and from property-related torts, which deal with interference with objects rather than contact with a person. Injury isn’t a prerequisite for battery, which is why the statement about non-consensual contact even without injury is the correct understanding.