malicious prosecution

English

Noun

malicious prosecution (countable and uncountable, plural malicious prosecutions)

  1. (law) The wrongful initiation or continuation of criminal or civil proceedings against an individual without reasonable grounds and with improper motives.

Usage notes

  • In some jurisdictions, "malicious prosecution" is reserved for the wrongful initiation of criminal proceedings, while "malicious use of process" refers to the wrongful initiation of civil proceedings.

Further reading

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