What is "laches"

Laches \Lach"es\ (l[a^]sh"[e^]z), Lache \Lache\ (l[a^]sh), n. [OF. lachesse, fr. lache lax, indolent, F. l[^a]che, ultimately fr. L. laxus loose, lax. See Lax.] (Law) Neglect; negligence; remissness; neglect to do a thing at the proper time; especially, a delay in asserting a claim, sufficient to cause a person to lose the right to adjuducation of the claim by a court.

It ill became him to take advantage of such a laches with the eagerness of a shrewd attorney.
--Macaulay.

"negligence in performance of legal dute," 1570s, earlier simply "slackness, negligence, want of zeal" (late 14c.), from Anglo-French laches, Old French lachesse, from Old French lasche (Modern French lâche), verbal adjective from lascher, from Vulgar Latin *lascare, classical laxare, from laxus (see loose). Compare riches.

n. (context legal English) An unreasonable delay in bringing a claim allege a wrong, which means the person who waited shall not be permitted to seek an equitable remedy because the delay prejudiced the moving party. Sleeping on one's rights.

Laches (, , like "latches"; , ; Law French: "remissness", "dilatoriness," from Old French laschesse) refers to a lack of diligence and activity in making a legal claim, or moving forward with legal enforcement of a right, in particular with regard to equity; hence, it is an unreasonable delay that can be viewed as prejudicing the opposing [defending] party. When asserted in litigation, it is an equity defense, that is, a defense to a claim for an equitable remedy. The person invoking laches is asserting that an opposing party has "slept on its rights," and that, as a result of this delay, circumstances have changed, witnesses or evidence may have been lost or no longer available, etc., such that it is no longer a just resolution to grant the plaintiff's claim. Laches is associated with the maxim of equity, "Equity aids the vigilant, not the sleeping ones [that is, those who sleep on their rights]." Put another way, failure to assert one’s rights in a timely manner can result in a claim being barred by laches.

The Laches (; Greek: Λάχης) is a Socratic dialogue written by Plato. Participants in the discourse present competing definitions of the concept of courage.

Laches may refer to:

• Laches (equity), an equitable principle in Anglo-American law
• Laches (general) (c. 475 – 418 BC), an Athenian aristocrat
• Laches (dialogue), a Socratic dialogue of Plato
• Laches, Bogotá, a neighbourhood (barrio) in Bogotá, Colombia
• Laches, the Lache people

Laches (; ; c. 475 – 418 BCE) was an Athenian aristocrat (son of Melanopos) and general during the Peloponnesian War.