Legal Definitions - founded on

The term founded on describes something that has a particular principle, fact, or legal ground as its essential basis or justification. It indicates the fundamental reason or support for a claim, argument, or decision.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: A homeowner filed a lawsuit against a contractor, claiming shoddy workmanship. The homeowner's legal action was founded on the detailed inspection report that identified multiple structural defects and violations of building codes.

  Explanation: In this scenario, the lawsuit's entire basis and justification came from the findings of the inspection report. Without that report detailing the defects, the homeowner would not have had a strong foundation for their claim.

• Example 2: During a criminal trial, the defense attorney argued for an acquittal. Their argument was founded on the lack of credible eyewitness testimony and inconsistencies in the prosecution's forensic evidence.

  Explanation: Here, the defense's strategy and request for the defendant to be found not guilty were entirely based upon the weaknesses they identified in the evidence presented by the opposing side. These weaknesses formed the core reason for their argument.

• Example 3: A new city ordinance was passed to restrict noise levels in residential areas after 10 PM. This ordinance was founded on numerous complaints from residents about late-night disturbances and studies showing the negative impact of noise pollution on public health.

  Explanation: The city council's decision to create and enact the new noise restriction rule was directly based on, and justified by, the community's concerns and scientific evidence regarding noise. These factors provided the underlying reason for the ordinance.