Illegality

Question 1

General Rule Derived from Holman v Johnson (1775)

Answer 1

principle of ex turpi causa non oritur actio

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is a legal doctrine which states that a plaintiff will be unable to pursue legal remedy if it arises in connection with his own illegal act.[1] Particularly relevant in the law of contract, tort and trusts,[2] ex turpi causa is also known as the illegality defence, since a defendant may plead that even though, for instance, he broke a contract, conducted himself negligently or broke an equitable duty, nevertheless a claimant by reason of his own illegality cannot sue. The UK Supreme Court provided a thorough reconsideration of the doctrine in 2016 in Patel v Mirza.[3]