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I'm asking a general question, not particular of the law of a specific country.

There is a named legal principle for which a person is not responsible for crimes, guilts or responsibilities of his ancestors, his city, nation, race, sex, or any group to which he belongs?

There are different legal principles for each of those categories? (example: family guilt vs nationality guilt)

There is a Latin phrase referring to that, or those principles?

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    I'm more familiar with terms for when a person is punished for the actions of others. "Collective punishment" is one, "corruption of blood" is another special instance. Commented Aug 23, 2020 at 22:45
  • Mens rea would be a sufficient principle, as your mind is not guilty for the action of others. This is of course a more fundamental and wide-reaching principle.
    – MSalters
    Commented Aug 24, 2020 at 10:25
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    @NateEldredge You should write that up as an answer (you might add attainder, which is what leads to corruption of the blood.)
    – Just a guy
    Commented Aug 24, 2020 at 17:24
  • Corruption of blood is actually narrower than I had supposed. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/….
    – ohwilleke
    Commented Aug 24, 2020 at 21:34
  • Also worth noting that it isn't universal. Many legal systems have held people responsible for the debts of their deceased ancestors and various kinds of collective punishment have been tolerated historically and even in the present day. For example, in Afghanistan it isn't uncommon to authorize the rape a woman as a traditional law punishment for an act committed by another member of her extended family.
    – ohwilleke
    Commented Aug 24, 2020 at 21:37

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