The laws help persons who are deceived, not those deceiving.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) Equity intervenes to protect the deceived party, not the deceiver — a man who practiced fraud upon another will find no shelter in the courts.

Where this applies

• A con artist who tricked an elderly woman into signing over her house asks the court for help enforcing the deed, and the court refuses — equity protects the deceived, not the deceiver.
• A buyer who was sold a car with a rolled-back odometer gets the sale voided, while the dishonest seller gets no relief.
• A scammer forges a contract and then sues to enforce it — the court throws out his claim and awards damages to the person he tricked.