Loophole

For other uses, see Loophole (disambiguation).
"Loopholes" in an old city gate tower

A loophole is an ambiguity or inadequacy in a system, such as a law or security, which can be used to circumvent or otherwise avoid the intent, implied or explicitly stated, of the system. Loopholes are searched for and used strategically in a variety of circumstances, including taxes, elections, politics, the criminal justice system, or in breaches of security, or a response to one's civil liberties.

Loopholes are distinct from lacunae, although the two terms are often used interchangeably. In a loophole, a law addressing a certain issue exists, but the law can be legally circumvented due to a technical defect in the said law. A lacuna, on the other hand, is a situation whereby no law exists in the first place to address that particular issue.

Historically, arrow slits were narrow vertical windows from which castle defenders launched arrows from a sheltered position, and were also referred to as "loopholes".[1]

Thus a loophole in a law often contravenes the intent of the law without technically breaking it, much as the small slit window in a castle wall is a small opening in a seemingly impenetrable defensive measure that lets the defender gain the advantage of being able to fire without easily being fired back upon.

Examples

See also

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Castle Loopholes at www.castles.me.uk
  2. ↑ Paley, Amit R. (May 17, 2005). "Wal-Mart Drops Plan for Side-by-Side Calvert Stores". Washington Post. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 "To Outfox the Chicken Tax, Ford Strips Its Own Vans". Wall Street Journal, Matthew Dolan, September 22, 2009. September 23, 2009.


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