Meanings
- lawThe par delictum rule prescribes that a party should not obtain satisfaction from a court of law with where his own conduct is wrongful.
1 more example
The 'clean hands doctrine', derived from English law, is similar in effect to the Roman law maxim in pari delicto potior est conditio defendentis, which operated as an absolute bar to the grant of relief to the plaintiff. The par delictum rule is concerned with the moral guilt of contracting parties, not their criminal liability.
Origin
- Latinin pari delicto potior est conditio defendentis“if both (parties) are in the wrong, a defence is set up”
- Englishpar delictum
From Latin in pari delicto potior est conditio defendentis (“if both (parties) are in the wrong, a defence is set up”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
par delictum. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/par%20delictum
“par delictum.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/par%20delictum. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “par delictum,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/par%20delictum.
Source: par delictum on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.