Legal Definitions - absque tali causa

Term: absque tali causa
Definition: Absque tali causa means "without such cause" in Law Latin. It was used in common-law pleading as part of the phrase "de injuria sua propria, absque tali causa" which means "of his own wrong, without such cause". This phrase was used by a plaintiff to reply to a defendant's claim of excuse in a trespass case. For example, if a defendant claimed that they hit the plaintiff in self-defense, the plaintiff could reply that the defendant was guilty of their own wrong committed without such cause as alleged. Example: In a court case, if someone is accused of trespassing on someone else's property, they may claim that they had a valid reason for being there. If the plaintiff disagrees and believes that the defendant had no valid reason, they can use the phrase "absque tali causa" to argue that the defendant is guilty of trespassing without a valid reason.