diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 62ff1f15e6..e1743eb76c 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ pub mod source_code_generator;
 pub mod source_code_locator;
 pub mod source_code_style;
 mod vendor;
+mod violation;
 pub mod visibility;
 
 cfg_if! {
diff --git a/src/violation.rs b/src/violation.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2f7d3204d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/violation.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+use std::fmt::Debug;
+
+use serde::de::DeserializeOwned;
+use serde::Serialize;
+
+pub trait Violation: Debug + PartialEq + Eq + Serialize + DeserializeOwned {
+    /// The message used to describe the violation.
+    fn message(&self) -> String;
+
+    /// If autofix is (potentially) available for this violation returns another
+    /// function that in turn can be used to obtain a string describing the
+    /// autofix.
+    fn autofix_title_formatter(&self) -> Option<fn(&Self) -> String> {
+        None
+    }
+
+    /// A placeholder instance of the violation.
+    fn placeholder() -> Self;
+}
+
+/// This trait exists just to make implementing the [`Violation`] trait more
+/// convenient for violations that can always be autofixed.
+pub trait AlwaysAutofixableViolation:
+    Debug + PartialEq + Eq + Serialize + DeserializeOwned
+{
+    /// The message used to describe the violation.
+    fn message(&self) -> String;
+
+    /// The title displayed for the available autofix.
+    fn autofix_title(&self) -> String;
+
+    /// A placeholder instance of the violation.
+    fn placeholder() -> Self;
+}
+
+/// A blanket implementation.
+impl<VA: AlwaysAutofixableViolation> Violation for VA {
+    fn message(&self) -> String {
+        <Self as AlwaysAutofixableViolation>::message(self)
+    }
+
+    fn autofix_title_formatter(&self) -> Option<fn(&Self) -> String> {
+        Some(Self::autofix_title)
+    }
+
+    fn placeholder() -> Self {
+        <Self as AlwaysAutofixableViolation>::placeholder()
+    }
+}
+
+/// This macro just exists so that you don't have to add the `#[derive]`
+/// attribute every time you define a new violation.  And so that new traits can
+/// be easily derived everywhere by just changing a single line.
+#[macro_export]
+macro_rules! define_violation {
+    ($($struct:tt)*) => {
+        #[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Eq, serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
+        $($struct)*
+    };
+}