Complicity

Complicity refers to involvement in wrongdoing, whether through actively participating in a crime, aiding its commission, or facilitating its planning and execution. The term derives from Latin complicare, meaning to fold together or entangle. It can apply to individuals or organizations and does not require that the person be the principal offender. In everyday language, complicity implies some form of shared responsibility for the harm caused.

In criminal law, complicity covers acts such as aiding, abetting, counseling, procuring, or inciting another to commit a crime. Depending on jurisdiction, a person may be charged as an accomplice, an accessory before the fact, or an accessory after the fact. Key requirements typically include knowledge of the unlawful purpose and intent to assist or further it. Merely being present at the scene or failing to intervene is not always sufficient for liability.

Conspiracy and complicity are related but distinct concepts. Conspiracy requires an agreement between two or more persons to commit a crime, sometimes with an overt act in furtherance. Complicity may suffice with actual participation or assistance without formal agreement. In civil contexts, complicity can create joint liability or vicarious responsibility for damages arising from another's wrongdoing, such as corporate complicity in human rights abuses.

Ethical and policy considerations emphasize that liability for complicity reflects the degree of control, influence, or opportunity to prevent harm, rather than mere knowledge. The precise scope varies by jurisdiction and statute, but the underlying principle is that aiding wrongdoing can entail moral and legal consequences.