malice in law

English

Noun

malice in law (uncountable)

1. (law) The state of having done something illegal without an intention of breaking the law.
   • 1858, John Pitt Taylor, chapter V, in A Treatise on the Law of Evidence, As Administered in England and Ireland‎^[1], 3rd edition, volume 1, London: W. Maxwell, Law Bookseller and Publisher, page 121:

     […] in actions of slander, though it should appear that the defendant was not actuated by ill-will against the plaintiff, malice in law will be inferred from the fact of intentional publication, unless the defendant can show that his language was excusable as a privileged communication […]

   • 2020 October 28, Abdul Moiz Jaferii, “Facts and malice in law”, in The News International‎^[2]:

     The actions of the president and the government advising him on the matter of Justice Isa were stained by malice in law, says the court. The president failed to apply his independent mind to the advice given to him […]

   • 2021 January 5, “Any use of discretionary power exercised under Rule 86A for an unauthorized purpose amounts to malice in law – HC”, in Faceless Compliance‎^[3]:

     Any use of discretionary power exercised for an unauthorized purpose amounted to malice in law. It is immaterial whether the authority acted in good faith or bad faith.

Antonyms

• malice in fact