Recrimination

An accusation made by a person accused against his accuser, either of having committed the same offence, or another.

In general recrimination does not excuse the person accused, nor diminish his punishment, because the guilt of another can never excuse him. But in applications for divorce on the ground of adultery, if the party defendant, can prove that the plaintiff or complainant has been guilty of the same offence, the divorce will not be granted.
   

This entry contains material from Bouvier's Legal Dictionary, a work published in the 1850's.