Straw man (law)

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In law, the term straw man can refer to a third party that acts as a "front" in a transaction (i.e., who is an agent for another) for the purpose of taking title to real property, breaking a joint tenancy, or engaging in some other kind of transaction where the principal remains hidden or to do something else which is not allowed.

A straw man is also "a person of no means," or one who deliberately accepts a liability or other monetary responsibility without the resources to fulfill it, usually to shield another party.

According to received wisdom, the term "straw man" originates from the precincts of the Law Courts in Dublin (Ireland) where, in former times, men who were willing to commit perjury, in return for pecuniary reward, would loiter around the precincts with a conspicuous piece of straw worn in the cap or hair; by exhibiting this sign, they advertised their availability for employment as false witnesses in court. They came to be known as "straw men" (with the emphasis on the first, rather than the second, word).