Legal Definitions - abuse-of-rights doctrine

The abuse-of-rights doctrine is a principle in civil law that states a person may be held responsible for any harm caused by exercising their legal rights if:

1. Their primary motive is to cause harm
2. They have no legitimate interest in exercising their right
3. Their actions go against moral rules, good faith, or fairness
4. They use their right for a purpose other than its intended legal purpose

For example, if a property owner has the legal right to cut down trees on their land, but they do so solely to block their neighbor's view, they could be held liable for any damage caused by the falling trees. This is because their primary motive was to cause harm, and they had no legitimate interest in cutting down the trees.

Another example could be a person who uses their legal right to free speech to spread false and harmful rumors about someone else. In this case, their actions would go against moral rules and fairness, and they could be held responsible for any harm caused by their words.