LEGAL MAXIMS

Legal Maxims

1. A communi observantia non est There should be no departure from common

recedendum observance or usage.

2. A verbis legis non est recedenduam From the words of the law there is to be no
departure.

3. Absolut sententia expositore non indiget A simple proposition needs no expositor.

4. Abundans cautela non nocet Abundant caution does no harm.

5. Accessorium non ducit, sed sequitur, suum An accessory does not lead, but follows, its
principale principal.

6. Acta exteriora indicant interiora secreta Acts indicate the intention.

7. Actio non datur non damnificato An action is not given to one who is not injured.

8. Actio personalis moritur cum persona A personal right of action dies with the person.

9. Actus non reum facit reum nisi mens sit To constitute a crime, it is not enough that the act
rea is criminal, must also be accompanied by a
blameworthy mind.

10. Actus curiae neminem gravabit An act of the court will prejudice no one.

11. Actus ei nemini facit injuriam Law holds no man responsible for the Act of
God.

12. Actus legis nemini facit injuriam Law wrongs no man.

13. Ad ea quae frequentius accidunt jura The laws are adapted to those cases which more
adaptantur frequently occur.

14. Aequitas agit in personam Equity acts upon the person.

15. Aequitas ignorantiae opitulatur, oscitantiae Equity assists ignorance but not complacency.
non item

16. Affirmanti, non neganti, incumbit The proof is incumbent upon the one who
probation affirms, not on the one who denies.

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17. Affirmantis est probare The person who affirms must prove.

18. Alienatio rei praefertur juri accrescendi Alience is favoured by the law itself.

19. Allegans contraria non est audiendus The law will not hear one who alleges contrary
facts.

20. Arb trium est judicium An award is a judgment.

21. Argumentum ab inconvenienti plurimum As argument drawn from inconvenience is

valet in lege forcible in law.

22. Assignatus utitur jure auctoris An assignee clothed with the rights of his
principle.

23. Bello parta cedunt reipublicae Things acquired in war go to the state.

24. Bona fide possessor facit fructus A possessor in good faith is entitled to the fruits
consumptos suos that he consumes.

25. Boni judicis est ampliare jurisdictionem It is the part of a good judge to enlarge his
jurisdiction.

26. Breve judiciale non cadit pro defectu A judicial writ does not fail for defect of form.
formae

27. Carcer non supplicii causa sed custodiae A person is established not to the sake of
constitutes punishment, but for detentiae under guard.

28. Causa causae est cause causati The cause of a cause is the cause of the effect.

29. Causa patet The reason is obvious.

30. Causa sine qua non Factor essential to the occurring of event.

31. Certum est quod certum reddi potest That is certain which can be rendered certain.

32. Cessante ratione legis cessat et ipsa lex Reason is the soul of law and when the reason of
any particular law ceases, so does the law itself.

33. Clausula generalis non refertur ad A general clause does not refer to things expressly
expressa mentioned.

34. Cogitationis poenam nemo patitur No one deserves punishment for his thoughts.

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35. Compromissarii sunt judices Arbitrators are judges.

36. Consensus ad aidem Agreement as to the same thing.

37. Consensus, non concubitus, facit It is the consent of the parties, not their
matrimonium cohabitation which constitutes a valid marriage.

38. Consuetudo est optimus interpres legume Custom is the best expounder of the law.

39. Contea bonos mores Against good morals.

40. Conventio vincit legem The express agreement of the parties overrides the
law.

41. Crimina morte extinguuntur Crimes are extinguished by death.

42. Cuique in sua arte credendum est Everyone is to be believed in his own area of
expertise.

43. Cujus est commodum, ejus debet esse The person who has the advantage should also
incommodum have the disadvantage.

44. Custome serra prise stricte Custom shall beconstrued strictly.

45. Damnum sine injuria Damage without legal injury.

46. Debet esse finis litium There ought to be a limit to litigation.

47. De die in diem From day-to-day.

48. De jure judices, de facto juratores, The judges answer regarding the law, the jury on
respondent the facts.

49. De minimis non curat lex The law does not common itself with trifling
matters.

50. Demissio regis vel coronoe Transfer of property.

51. Demus sua cuique est tutissimum refugium For everyone his own house is the safest refuge.

52. Donation mortis causa A gift of professional property by a person on the

patron of death.

53. Droit ne poet pas morier Right cannot die.

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54. Eftectus sequitur causam The effect follows the cause.

55. Equali jure melior est conditio possidentis If right is equal, the claim of party in actual
possession shall prevail.

56. Equitas sequitur legem Equity follows the law.

57. Ex aequo et bono In justice and good faith.

58. E antecedentibus et consequentibus fit A passage is best interpreted by reference to what

optima Interpretatio precedes and what follows it.

59. Ex dolo malo non oritur actio Right of action cannot arise out of fraud.

60. Ex nudo pacto non oritur action An action does not arise from a bare promise.

61 Ex turpi causa non oritur actio No action arises out of a wrongful consideration.

62. Expressio unius est exclusio alterius Express mention of one thing implies the
exclusion of another.

63. Falsa demonstratio non nocet Mere false description does not vitiate the object.

64. Fieri non debt, sed factum valet It ought not to be done, but if done it is valid.

65. Fraus est odiosa et non praesumenda Fraud is odious and not to be presumed.

66. Furiosi nulla voluntas est Mad men have no freewill.

67. Generale dictum generaliter est inter A general expression is to be construed generally.
pretandum

68. Haeres legitimus est quem nuptiae The common law takes him only to be a son
demonstrant whom the marriage proves to be so.

69. Hominum causa jus constitutum est Law was established for the benefit of human
kind.

70. Identitias vera Colligitur ex multitudine The identity is collected from a multitude of
signorum signs.

71. Ignorantia facti excusat, ignorantia juris Ignorance of fact excuses ignorance of law does
non excusat not excuse.

72. Ignorantia juris non excusat Ignorance of the law does not excuse.

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73. Ignorantia juris quod quisqueles scire Ignorance of the law which everybody is
tenetur neminem excusat supposed to know does not afford excuse.

74. Impotentia excusat legem Impotency excuses law; to an obligation imposed

by law; impossibility of performance is a good
excuse.

75. In dubio, sequendum quod tutius est In a doubtful case, the safer course is to be
followed.

76. In equali jure melior est conditio Where the right is equal the claim of the party in
possidentis actual possession shall prevail.

77. In fictione juris semper aequitas existit Equity is the life of a legal fiction.

78. In jure non remota causa, sed proxima In law the immediate, not the remote, cause of any
spectator event is regarded.

79. Judicandum est legibus non exemplis Judgment must be given by the laws, not by
examples.

80. Juratus creditur in judicio In a judgment a person who has sworn an oath is
believed.

81. Jus ex injuria non oritur A right does not arise from a wrong.

82. Leges posteriores priores contrarias Later laws repeal earlier laws inconsistent
abrogant therewith.

83. Lex est norma recti Law is a rule of right.

84. Lex loci contractus The law of a place where a contract is made. This
is generally the proper law of the contract, i.e, the
law by which the contract is to be interpreted.

85. Lex non cogit ad impossibilia Law does not compel a man to do that which he
cannot possibly perform.

86. Lex talionis an eye for an eye.

87. Longa possessio jus parit Long possession begets a right.

88. Manifesta probatione non indigent Things manifest do not require proof.

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89. Modus et conventio vincunt legem Form of agreement and convention of parties over
rule the law.

90. Necessitas publica major est quam privata Public necessity is greater than private.

91. Nemo dat qui non habet No one can pass a better title than what he himself
has.

92. Nemo debet bis vexari pro una et eadem A man shall not be twice vexed for one and the
causa same cause.

93. Nemo debet esse judex in propria causa No man can be judge in his own cause.

94. Nemo est haeres viventis No one can be heir during the life of his ancestor.

95. Nemo tenetur seipsum accusare No man can be compelled to incriminate himself.

96. Noscitur a sociis It is known from its associates.

97. Nullus commodum capere potest de injuria No man can take advantage of his own wrong.
sua propria

98. Omnia praesumuntur contra spoliatorem Every presumption is made against a wrong doer.

99. Optimus interpres rerum usus Usage is the best interpreter of things.

100. Pendente lite nihil innovetur During litigation let nothing be changed.

101. Placita negativa duo exitum non faciunt Two negative pleas do not form an issue.

102. Plus valet unus oculatus testis quam auriti One eyewitness is better than ten ear witness.
decem

103. Presumptio Juris et de jure Irrebuttable presumption of law.

104. Qui aliquid statuerit parte inaudita altera, He who decides anything, one party being
aeguum licet dixerit, haud aequnm fecerit unheard though he should decide his right or
wrong.

105. Qui facit per alium facit per se He who acts through another is deemed to act in
person; a principal is liable for the acts of his
agents.

106. Qui Omne dicit mihil excludit He who says everything excludes nothing.

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107. Qui per alium facit per seipsum facere He who does an act through another is deemed in
videtur law to do it himself.

108. Qui prior east tempore potior est jure Better title for first presence in first point of time.

109. Quod constat curiae opere testium non in What is manifest to the court needs not the help
idiget of witness.

110. Res inter alios acta alteri nocere non debet Things done between others not to injure an
outsider.

111. Res ipsa loquitur The things speaks for itself.

112. Res judicata pro veritate accipitur A matter adjudged is taken for truth.

113. Res nullius naturaliter fit primi occupantis A thing that has no owner naturally belongs to the
first taker.

114. Salus populi (est) suprema lex The welfare of the people is the paramount law.

115. Salus reipublicae suprema lex The safety of the state is the Supreme Law.

116. Tacita quaedam habentur pro expressis Certain things though unexpressed are considered
as expressed.

117. Testamentum omne morte consummatum Every will is completed by death.

118. Testis de visu praeponderat aliis An eye witness outweighs others.

119. Testis nemo in sua causa esse potest No one can be a witness in his own cause.

120. Ubicunque est injuria, ibi damnum Wherever there is a legal wrong, there damages
sequitur follows.

121. Ubi jus, ibi remedium When there is a right there is a remedy.

122. Vani timoris justa excusatio non est There is no legal excuse based on a groundless
fear.

123. Verba aliquid operari debent debent – Words ought to have some operation - They ought
debent intelligi ut aliquid operentur to be interpreted in such a way as to have some
operation.

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124. Verba ita sunt intelligenda ut res magis Words are to be so understood as meet the subject
valeat quam pereat rather preserved matter may be than destroyed.

125. Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura sub- Laws aid the vigilant not those who sleep.
veniunt

126. Void ab initio Unlawful right or unenforceable right from the

very beginning of the matter or issue or fact.

127. Volenti non fit injuria Damage suffered by consent is not a cause of
action.

128. Voluntas in delictis non exitus spectator In crimes, the intention and not the result is
looked into.