Culpa
A Dictionary of Law · Henry Campbell Black · 1891
A Dictionary of Law
A term of the civil law, meaning fault, neglect, or negligence. There are three degrees of culpa,—iata eulpa, gross fault or neglect; levis culpa, ordinary fault or neglect; levissima euipa, slight fault or neglect, —and the delinitions of these degrees are precisely the same as those in our law, Story, Bailm. § 18. This term is to be distinguished from dolus, which means fraud, guile, or deceit. Culpa caret qui scit sed prohibere non potest. He is clear of blame who knows, jut cannot prevent.
Dig. 50, 17, 50.
Culpa est immiscere se rei ad se non pertinenti, 2Inst.
208.
It is a fault for any one to meddle in a matter not pertaining to him.
Culpa lata dolo wquiparatur
Gross negligence is held equivalent to intentional Wrong, Culpa tenet [teneat] suos auctores. Misconduct binds [should bind} its own authors. It is a never-failing axiom that every one is accountable only for his own delicts. Ersk. Inst. 4, 1, 14.