Ex turpi causa non oritur actio
COMMON LAW DOCTRINE
Ex turpi causa; Illegality defence; Illegality defense
(Latin "from a dishonorable cause an action does not arise") is a legal doctrine which states that a plaintiff will be unable to pursue legal relief and damages if it arises in connection with their own tortious act. Particularly relevant in the law of contract, tort and trusts,Winfield & Jolowicz on Tort, 15th edition, 866, suggest that the doctrine should be purely confined to contract 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.