DOLUS

dolus (doh-l<<schwa>>s). [Latin “device; artifice”] Roman & civil law. 1.  Fraud or  deceit;

conduct  intended  to  deceive  someone;  bad  faith.  •  Although  there  may  be  dolus  without  fraud,

fraud always includes  dolus. Cf. CASUS(1); CULPA(1).2. Intentional aggression; willful injury,

esp. to another’s property. — Also termed dolus malus; fraus.

“In the twelfth century the resuscitated Roman law introduced some new ideas. Men began to

contrast, as Glanvill does, civil with criminal causes, to speak of dolus and culpa and casus, and to

lay stress on the psychical element in crime.” 2 Frederick Pollock & Frederic W. Maitland, History

of English Law Before the Time of Edward I 477 (2d ed. 1899).

“Although  the  word  malitia  is not  unknown  to  the  Roman  lawyers,  the  usual  and  technical

name  for  wrongful  intent  is  dolus,  or  more  specifically  dolus  malus.  Dolus  and  culpa  are  two

forms of mens rea. In a narrower sense, however, dolus includes merely that particular variety of

wrongful  intent  which  we  term  fraud  —  that  is  to  say,  the  intent  to  deceive.  From  this  limited

sense it was extended to cover all forms of wilful wrongdoing. The English term fraud has never

received an equally wide extension.” John Salmond, Jurisprudence 385 (Glanville L. Williams ed.,

10th ed. 1947).

dolus  bonus  (doh-l<<schwa>>s  boh-n<<schwa>>s).  [Latin  “good  deceit”]  Shrewdness  or

justifiable deceit, as when a person lies to an attacker to prevent an assault. • Dolus bonus does not

produce any legal consequences.

dolus      dans      locum      contractui      (doh-l<<schwa>>s      danz      loh-k<<schwa>>m

k<<schwa>>n-trak-choo-I).  [Latin]  Fraud  (or  deceit)  giving  rise  to  the  contract;  specif.,  a

fraudulent  misrepresentation  that,  having  been  made  by  one  of  the  parties  to  the  contract  and

relied on by the other, was actually instrumental in inducing the latter to enter into the contract.

dolus incidens (doh-l<<schwa>>s in-si-denz). [Law Latin] Hist. Fraud incidental; fraud that

does not affect the essential terms of an agreement.

dolus  malus  (doh-l<<schwa>>s  mal-<<schwa>>s).  [Latin  “bad  or  evil  deceit”]  Evil  or

fraudulent design or intent; an unjustifiable deceit. [Blacks Law 8th]