Also known as: droits · droitural · right · due
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
2 senses
An entitlement recognized by law that confers a power, privilege, or claim upon its holder. The concept encompasses both individual claims enforceable against others and broader interests protected by legal systems.
The aggregate of legal rules and principles that govern conduct within a jurisdiction. This usage treats droit as the comprehensive framework of rights and obligations rather than any single claim.
Each sense below has its own examples, sources, and questions.
An entitlement recognized by law that confers a power, privilege, or claim upon its holder. The concept encompasses both individual claims enforceable against others and broader interests protected by legal systems.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
The aggregate of legal rules and principles that govern conduct within a jurisdiction. This usage treats droit as the comprehensive framework of rights and obligations rather than any single claim.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Daphne Doyle stabbed her neighbor after hearing voices that commanded the act. She testified that she believed the killing was morally justified to save the world. The court denied acquittal because she retained the capacity to recognize that society viewed the conduct as wrong, so her asserted droit to an insanity defense failed.
Derek Douglas executed a deed of trust conveying title to his ranch to a trustee to secure repayment of a bank loan. When Douglas defaulted, the lender exercised its droit to foreclose and sell the property to satisfy the debt while Douglas retained the right to redeem before sale.
Delilah Duran sued a neighbor for $50,000 in damages arising from a boundary dispute. Because the claim sought legal relief at common law and exceeded twenty dollars, Duran possessed the droit to a jury trial whose factual findings could not be reexamined except under common-law rules.
Dorothy Daniels left a law firm that required her to sign an agreement barring practice in the same city for two years. The firm could not enforce the clause because Rule 5.6(a) protects a lawyer's droit to practice after termination except in narrowly defined retirement-benefit contexts.
Damian Decker, an agent, failed to discover a title defect that an ordinarily prudent person would have found while managing Danielle Dixon's real-estate portfolio. Dixon could assert her droit to recover losses because Decker did not exercise the knowledge and care required of a person of ordinary experience in performing his duties.
Dillon Energy, a tenant, became entitled to terminate its warehouse lease after the landlord failed to repair the roof. To exercise its droit, Dillon vacated the premises, followed the lease's notice provision, and mailed written notice to the landlord stating the reason for termination.
The term carries both meanings. One sense denotes a specific legal right or claim held by a person. The second sense refers to the entire body of law that constitutes the legal system itself.
Supporting sources
…whether such commissions had been in the office or not could not be a confidential fact; it is a fact which all the world have a right to know. If he thought any of the questions improper he might state his objections. Mr. Lincoln prayed time till the next day to consider his answers and the court granted it. The next…