Malicious prosecutionMalicious prosecution is a common law intentional tort. Like the tort of abuse of process, its elements include (1) intentionally (and maliciously) instituting and pursuing (or causing to be instituted or pursued) a legal action (civil or criminal) that is (2) brought without probable cause and (3) dismissed in favor of the victim of the malicious prosecution. In some jurisdictions, the term "malicious prosecution" denotes the wrongful initiation of criminal proceedings, while the term "malicious use of process" denotes the wrongful initiation of civil proceedings.
Vexatious litigationVexatious litigation is legal action which is brought solely to harass or subdue an adversary. It may take the form of a primary frivolous lawsuit or may be the repetitive, burdensome, and unwarranted filing of meritless motions in a matter which is otherwise a meritorious cause of action. Filing vexatious litigation is considered an abuse of the judicial process and may result in sanctions against the offender. A single action, even a frivolous one, is usually not enough to raise a litigant to the level of being declared vexatious.
Frivolous litigationFrivolous litigation is the use of legal processes with apparent disregard for the merit of one's own arguments. It includes presenting an argument with reason to know that it would certainly fail, or acting without a basic level of diligence in researching the relevant law and facts. That an argument was lost does not imply the argument was frivolous; a party may present an argument with a low chance of success, so long as it proceeds from applicable law.
Barratry (common law)Barratry (ˈbærətri ) is a legal term that, at common law, described a criminal offense committed by people who are overly officious in instigating or encouraging prosecution of groundless litigation, or who bring repeated or persistent acts of litigation for the purposes of profit or harassment. Although it remains a crime in some jurisdictions, barratry has frequently been abolished as being anachronistic and obsolete. In Australia, the term barratry is predominantly used in the first sense of a frivolous or harassing litigant.
PseudolawPseudolaw (from the Greek "ψευδής" (pseudo); "false") consists of pseudolegal statements, beliefs, or practices that are claimed to be based on accepted law or legal doctrine, but which deviate significantly from most conventional understandings of law and jurisprudence, or which originate from non-existent statutes or legal principles the advocate or adherent incorrectly believes exist. Canadian legal scholar Donald J.
Procédure-bâillonUne procédure-bâillon, ou poursuite-bâillon ou poursuite stratégique contre la mobilisation publique est une action en justice visant à intimider et à faire taire un journaliste ou lanceur d'alerte ou à entraver la participation politique et le militantisme. Il s'agit le plus souvent d’une poursuite civile en diffamation, intentée contre un individu ou un organisme ayant pris parti dans le cadre d’un enjeu public. Le concept inclut les menaces de poursuite.
Responsabilité délictuelle en common lawLa responsabilité délictuelle en common law (tort law) regroupe différents délits qui permettent à une personne d'être indemnisée par une autre; par exemple, le délit de négligence (tort of negligence), la diffamation La responsabilité délictuelle en common law est grandement inspirée du droit anglais des délits. Contrairement à la responsabilité extracontractuelle en droit civil, la responsabilité délictuelle en common law est un regroupement éclectique de différentes causes d'action qui permettent à une personne d'être indemnisée à la suite du comportement d'une autre personne.
