Delikte

Delikte is a legal term used in several European languages to denote wrongful acts that breach a duty imposed by law. Etymologically from Latin delictum, the word is used in both civil and criminal contexts depending on the jurisdiction, and may be translated as offense, fault, or wrongful act.

In civil-law traditions, a delict (often aligned with the concept of a tort) is a civil wrong committed against another person or the public that gives rise to liability for damages. A typical delict comprises four elements: unlawfulness, fault (intent or negligence), causation, and harm or damage. Some systems recognize strict liability, where fault need not be proven.

Delicts are distinguished from crimes in purpose and procedure: delicts generally lead to civil remedies such as compensation or injunctions, pursued in civil court; crimes are prosecuted by the state and punished with penalties such as imprisonment or fines. Yet some acts can be both delicts and crimes, producing both civil liability and criminal punishment.

Common types include intentional delicts (deliberate wrongful acts) and negligent delicts (fault through carelessness), as well as quasi-delicts or culpa aquiliana in certain legal traditions. The exact terminology and elements vary by jurisdiction, but the core idea remains: a legally wrong act that harms others and gives rise to liability.