Conspiracy
Legal Definition and Related Resources of Conspiracy
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Meanings, Synonyms, Etymology, Translations and More
Meaning of Conspiracy
An agreement between two or more persons to do an act that is unlawful or a lawful act by unlawful means. An inchoate offense and the agreement need not be shown to have been explicit for it can be inferred from the facts and circumstances. See Iannelli v U.S., 95 S.Ct. 1284, 420 U.S. 779, 43 L.Ed.2d 616. In order to constitute the criminal offense of conspiracy, it must be shown that one of the conspirators committed an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy. See U.S. v Rich, (C.A.Mo.)518 F.2d980.
Conspiracy Alternative Definition
(Lat. con, together, spiro, to breathe). In criminal law. A combination of two or more persons by some concerted action to accomplish some criminal or unlawful purpose, or to accomplish some Eurpose, not in itself criminal or unlawful, y criminal or unlawful means. 2 Mass. 337, 538; 4 Mete. (Mass.) Ill; 4 Wend. (N. Y.) 229; 15 N. H. 396; 5 Har. & J. (Md.) 317; 3 Serg. & R. (Pa.) 220; 12 Conn. 101; 11 Clark & F. 155; 4 Mich. 414.
Synonyms of Conspiracy
noun
abetment
agreement to accomplish an unlawful end
agreement to commit a crime
coalescence
coalition
collusion
combination
combined operation
compact
compliance
complicity
composition
concert
confederacy
comuratio
connivance
contrivance
corrupt agreement
countermine
counterplot
duplicitous agreement
intrigue
intriguery
joint effort
joint planning
maneuvering
plan
plot
proposal
scheme
treasonable alliance
underplot
unlawful combination
unlawful contrivance
unlawful plan
unlawful scheme
Associated Concepts: conspiracy in restraint of interstate trade
conspiracy in restraint of trade
conspiracy to commit felony
conspiracy to defraud
conspiracy within the Sherman Antitrust Act
continuing conspiracy
entered into a conspiracy
furtherance of the conspiracy
overt act
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Conspiracy in Historical Law
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Legal Abbreviations and Acronyms
Search for legal acronyms and/or abbreviations containing Conspiracy in the Legal Abbreviations and Acronyms Dictionary.
Related Legal Terms
You might be also interested in these legal terms:
Mentioned in these terms
Chilling A Sale, Co-conspirator, Co-conspirator's Exception, Confederacy, Conspirator, Enter, Inconsistent.
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Conspiracy in the Dictionary: Conspiracy in our legal dictionaries
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Related topics: Conspiracy in this project about law in the world (Lawi)
Notice
This definition of Conspiracy is based on the The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary. This entry needs to be proofread.
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https://dictionarylaw.substack.com/p/conspiracy/: The URI of Conspiracy (more about URIs)
Conspiracy in Law Enforcement
Main Entry: Law Enforcement in the Legal Dictionary. This section provides, in the context of Law Enforcement, a partial definition of conspiracy.
Grammar
This term is a noun.
Etimology of Conspiracy
(You may find conspiracy at the world legal encyclopedia and the etimology of more terms).
mid-14c., from Anglo-French conspiracie, Old French conspiracie "conspiracy, plot," from Latin conspirationem (nominative conspiratio) "agreement, union, unanimity," noun of action from conspirare (see conspire); earlier in same sense was conspiration (early 14c.), from French conspiration (13c.), from Latin conspirationem. An Old English word for it was facengecwis. As a term in law, from 1863. Conspiracy theory is from 1909.
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See Also
Law Enforcement Officer
Policeman
Law Enforcement Agency
Further Reading
English Legal System: Conspiracy
In the context of the English law, A Dictionary of Law provides the following legal concept of Conspiracy:
1. An agreement between two or more people to behave in a manner that will automatically constitute an offence by at least one of them (e.g. two people agree that one of them shall steal while the other waits in a getaway car). The agreement is itself a statutory crime, usually punishable in the same way as the offence agreed on, even if it is not carried out. Mens rea (See mens rea), in the sense of knowledge of the facts that make the action criminal, is required by at least two of the conspirators, even if the crime agreed upon is one of *strict liability. One may be guilty of conspiracy even if it is impossible to commit the offence agreed on (for example, when two or more people conspire to take money from a safe but, unknown to them, there is no money in it). A person is, however, not guilty of conspiracy if the only other party to the agreement is his (or her) spouse. Nor is there liability when the acts are to be carried out in furtherance of a trade dispute and involve only a summary and nonimprisonable offence. Incitement to conspire and attempt to conspire are no longer crimes.
Some forms of criminal conspiracy still exist at common law. These are now limited to: (1) conspiracy to *defraud (e.g. to commit fraud, theft, obtain property by deception, or infringe a copyright) or to cause an official to act contrary to his public duty; (2) conspiracy to corrupt public morals (See corruption of public morals); and (3) conspiracy to outrage public decency (this might include an agreement to mount an indecent exhibition).
2. A conspiracy to injure a third party is a tort if it causes damage to the person against whom the conspiracy is aimed. It is not necessary to prove that the conspirators used unlawful means. If unlawful means have not been used, conspiracy is not actionable if the predominant purpose of the conspirators was legitimate. Protection of one's own financial or trade interests is thus a legitimate purpose provided no unlawful means are used; but retaliation for an insult to one's dignity is not. The operation of the tort in *trade disputes is limited by statute.
Conspiracy