Legal Definitions - ob turpem causam

ob turpem causam

Ob turpem causam means doing something for an immoral reason or a shameful reason. If someone does something for an ob turpem causam reason, it cannot be enforced by law.

• John promised to pay his friend $1000 if he lied in court for him. This promise cannot be enforced because it was made ob turpem causam.
• Susan promised to give her boss a promotion if he helped her cover up a mistake. This promise cannot be enforced because it was made ob turpem causam.

These examples illustrate ob turpem causam because both John and Susan made promises for immoral reasons. They were trying to get someone to do something wrong, and that is not allowed by law.