The principle of clean hands serves which main purpose in equity courts?

The principle of clean hands is a fundamental doctrine in equity courts that emphasizes the importance of fairness and ethics in legal proceedings. Its main purpose is to deny equitable relief to a party who has acted unethically or in bad faith in relation to the subject of their claim. This means that if a party seeking equitable relief has engaged in misconduct or has not acted in good faith, the courts may refuse to grant them the relief they are seeking, regardless of the merits of their case.

In this context, fairness is paramount; the courts operate under the belief that those seeking justice must themselves exhibit just and fair conduct. Therefore, a claimant with "unclean hands" cannot expect to receive equitable help from the court. This principle ensures that the legal system maintains integrity and discourages inappropriate behavior, reinforcing the idea that one must adhere to a certain standard of conduct to benefit from the justice they seek.