Ex turpi causa non oritur actio
“No action arises from a dishonourable cause.”
Legal maxim
What does “Ex turpi causa non oritur actio” mean?
Ex turpi causa non oritur actio translates as “No action arises from a dishonourable cause.”
A person cannot go to court to profit from their own illegal act.
“Ex turpi causa non oritur actio” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Ex | from, out of | preposition taking the ablative case |
| turpi | base, shameful, dishonourable | ablative singular feminine of turpis, turpe, agreeing with causa |
| causa | cause, ground, reason | ablative singular of causa, causae (feminine), object of ex |
| non | not | adverb of negation, here negating the verb |
| oritur | arises, springs up | third person singular present indicative of orior, “I arise” (a deponent verb: passive form, active meaning) |
| actio | action, legal claim | nominative singular of actio, actionis (feminine), the subject of the sentence |
How to pronounce “Ex turpi causa non oritur actio”
The main differences are the c in actio (hard k in Classical, “ts” in Church Latin) and the s in causa (s in Classical, often z in Church Latin). The stress falls on the first syllable of turpi, causa and oritur, and on the second syllable of actio.
The story behind it
Word for word the maxim reads “from a base cause, no action arises”. In legal English, an “action” is a lawsuit or claim, so the sense is that a claim cannot grow out of a disgraceful or illegal act.
It is a doctrine of English common law, usually traced to Lord Mansfield’s judgment in Holman v Johnson (1775). Mansfield said the court will not lend its aid to a person who founds a claim on an immoral or illegal act. The Latin wording is a later summary of that principle, not a line from a Roman author.
The maxim is still cited in courts across the common-law world. It is often discussed in cases where someone tries to recover money or damages connected to their own wrongdoing, and courts have debated how strictly it should be applied.
Outside the courtroom, people quote it in a looser way to say that you cannot profit from your own wrongdoing.
How to use “Ex turpi causa non oritur actio”
Best suited to legal writing, law-school essays, speeches or discussions about justice and fairness. It also works as a motto for lawyers, or as a witty caption in a debate about someone trying to benefit from their own misdeeds.
- Latin
- Ex turpi causa non oritur actio
- English
- No action arises from a dishonourable cause.
- Source
- Legal maxim
- Era
- Early Modern
- Theme
- Justice
Common mistakes
- It is not a Roman law quote. It is a maxim of English common law from the 18th century, expressed in Latin.
- It does not mean that wrongdoers have no legal rights at all. It only blocks a claim that depends on their own illegal or immoral act.
- Do not drop the word turpi. “Ex causa non oritur actio” would lose the key idea of a dishonourable cause.
- The words are often misspelled as “oritor”. The correct form is oritur, from the deponent verb orior.
Questions about “Ex turpi causa non oritur actio”
What does “Ex turpi causa non oritur actio” mean literally?
“From a base cause, no action arises.” In plain English, no legal claim can be built on a dishonourable or illegal foundation.
Who said “Ex turpi causa non oritur actio”?
It is a legal maxim, not a quote from one author. It is linked to Lord Mansfield’s judgment in Holman v Johnson (1775), but the Latin phrasing is a later summary of the principle.
How do you pronounce “Ex turpi causa non oritur actio”?
In Classical Latin: eks TOOR-pee KOW-sah nohn OH-ree-toor AK-tee-oh. In Church Latin, actio sounds like AK-tsee-oh.
Is “Ex turpi causa non oritur actio” still used in law today?
Yes. Courts in England and other common-law countries still apply it, though judges debate its limits and how widely it should reach.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
One Latin line. Every Monday.
A quote, its translation and the story behind it, free in your inbox.