Sharp practice or sharp dealing is a

pejorative A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a ...

phrase to describe sneaky or cunning behavior that is technically within the rules of the law but borders on being

unethical Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ma ...

. The term has been used by judges in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

; in one a Canadian Construction Board gave an example of "sharp practice" for one party to "take advantage of a clear oversight by the opposite party in a

proceeding In academia and librarianship, conference proceedings is a collection of academic papers published in the context of an academic conference or workshop. Conference proceedings typically contain the contributions made by researchers at the conferen ...

." According to another source, a Canadian court of appeal

judgement Judgement (or US spelling judgment) is also known as ''adjudication'', which means the evaluation of evidence to make a decision. Judgement is also the ability to make considered decisions. The term has at least five distinct uses. Aristotle s ...

, judges should not accuse counsel of sharp practice lightly and should generally not make such an accusation based solely on written submissions. Likewise in '' R v Badger'' the Supreme Court of Canada forbade the government from engaging in "sharp dealing" with First Nations in implementing treaties.

References

Law of Canada Legal ethics Abuse of the legal system Canadian case law Legal terminology {{Canada-law-stub

See also

References