Concealment refers to hiding information that should be revealed, which can have legal consequences. Withholding information in contract law may void the contract, and concealment can also be used as evidence of theft. Active and passive concealment exist, and concealed weapons permits are available in certain circumstances.
In legal terms, concealment refers to hiding something that should be revealed. It can take many forms, some of which have legal consequences. Concealment can be prosecuted if the harm can be proven to have been caused by the business because one party failed to act with all the facts. It is possible to engage in concealment by accident, not realizing that a fact should have been disclosed, but this is sometimes treated as intentional concealment in the eyes of the law.
In contract law, withholding information may void the contract, depending on the nature of the withheld information. The general rule is that individuals are required to disclose information that may be relevant to the contract at the time the contract is being drafted. For example, an applicant for auto insurance must disclose driving history to the insurer. If the facts would have caused a party to proceed differently had they been known, this will be considered concealment, such as if someone has failed to report a series of claims to an auto insurance company.
People may also use this term to refer to a form of theft. If someone hides merchandise on the body while in a store, there may be a reasonable belief that the person intended to steal. Even if the goods were not taken out of the store, the concealment can be used as evidence that the person was unwilling to pay. People can be prosecuted for theft in such situations.
You can see active and passive concealment. In the event of an active cover-up, active steps are taken to ensure that the facts are not discovered. For example, a real estate agent might remove a disclosure page from a property information packet so that the prospective buyer does not see the information on that page. In passive concealment, someone does not speak when it would be reasonable to do so. To borrow the real estate example again, if a real estate agent knows of a defect with a property and doesn’t disclose it, that could be grounds for a lawsuit.
A related concept is a concealed weapon. By law in many regions of the world, people who carry guns must do so openly, and additional laws usually apply to the types of guns that may be carried. However, there are special circumstances where people may apply for a concealed weapons permit, if they can demonstrate that the concealment is necessary for safety. The permit applies to a specific weapon and can be revoked if it is deemed no longer needed or if it is misused.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
