The doctrine of actos propios in Peruvian civil law

Abstract

The text analyzes the doctrine of actos propios, which prevents a person from adopting a contradictory conduct with respect to a previous action that generated in another a legitimate trust. In this sense, it is pointed out that this institution has had a fundamentally jurisprudential and doctrinal development, according to which it has been recognized as a manifestation of the general principle of good faith. Thus, it is added that its application requires three elements: an unequivocal precedent act of the subject, the contradiction with a subsequent conduct, and the existence of a relationship of trust or legitimate expectation created in another subject. In this way, this figure is manifested as a limit to the exercise of subjective rights, aimed at avoiding abuse of rights and protecting legal certainty. It is also mentioned that, although its invocation cannot be used to consolidate situations contrary to mandatory rules, it is useful in conflicts where good faith and legal loyalty must prevail. Finally, the author emphasizes its autonomous character as compared to other figures such as the tacit waiver of rights, thus establishing its own role within the Peruvian legal system.