LATIN MAXIMS (A to Z)
Have a healthy dose of your Latin
Legal Maxims
A mensa et thoro - From bed and
board.
A vinculo matrimonii - From the bond
of matrimony.
Ab extra - From outside.
Ab initio - From the beginning.
Absoluta sententia expositore non
indiget - An absolute judgment needs
no expositor.
Abundans cautela non nocet -
Abundant caution does no harm.
Accessorium non ducit sed sequitur
suum principale - An accessory does
not draw, but follows its principal.
Accessorius sequitur - One who is an
accessory to the crime cannot be
guilty of a more serious crime than
the principal offender.
Acta exteriora iudicant interiora
secreta - Outward acts indicate the
inward intent.
Actio non accrevit infra sex annos -
The action has not accrued within six
years.
Actio non datur non damnificato - An
action is not given to one who is not
injured.
Actio personalis moritur cum persona
- A personal action dies with the
person.
Actiones legis - Law suits.
Actori incumbit onus probandi - The
burden of proof lies on the plaintiff.
Actus nemini facit injuriam - The act
of the law does no one wrong.
Actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea
- The act does not make one guilty
unless there be a criminal intent.
Actus reus - A guilty deed or act.
Ad ea quae frequentius acciduunt jura
adaptantur - The laws are adapted to
those cases which occur more
frequently.
Ad hoc - For this purpose.
Ad infinitum - Forever, without limit,
to infinity.
Ad perpetuam rei memoriam - For a
perpetual memorial of the matter.
Ad quaestionem facti non respondent
judices; ad quaestionem legis non
respondent juratores - The judges do
not answer to a question of fact; the
jury do not answer to a question of
Law.
Aedificare in tuo proprio solo non licet
quod alteri noceat - It is not lawful to
build on one's own land what may be
injurious to another.
Aequitas legem sequitur - Equity
follows the law.
Aequitas nunquam contravenit legem
- Equity never contradicts the law.
Alibi - At another place, elsewhere.
Alienatio rei praefertur juri
accrescendi - Alienation is preferred
by law rather than accumulation.
Aliunde - From elsewhere, or, from a
different source
Allegans contraria non est audiendus
- One making contradictory
statements is not to be heard.
Allegans suam turpitudinem non est
audiendus - One alleging his own
infamy is not to be heard.
Allegatio contra factum non est
admittenda - An allegation contrary
to a deed is not to be heard.
Ambiguitas contra stipulatorem est -
An ambiguity is most strongly
construed against the party using it.
Ambiguitas verborum patens nulla
verificatione excluditur - A patent
ambiguity is never helped by
averment.
Amicus curiae - A friend of the Court.
Angliae jura in omni casu libertati
dant favorem - The laws of England
are favorable in every case to liberty.
Animo furandi - With an intention of
stealing.
Animo testandi - With an intention of
making a will.
Annus luctus - The year of mourning.
Ante - Before.
Aqua currit et debet currere, ut
currere solebat - Water runs and
ought to run.
Arbitrium est judicium - An award is a
judgment.
Arbor dum crescit; lignum cum
crescere nescit - A tree while it
grows, wood when it cannot grow.
Argumentum ab auctoritate
fortissimum est in lege - An argument
drawn from authority is the strongest
in law.
Argumentum ab impossibilii
plurimum valet in lege - An argument
from impossibility is very strong in
law.
Argumentum ad hominem - An
argument directed a the person.
Argumentum ad ignoratiam - An
argument based upon ignorance (i.e.
of one's adversary).
Arma in armatos sumere jura sinunt -
The laws permit the taking up of arms
against the armed.
Assentio mentium - The meeting of
minds, i.e. mutual assent.
Assignatus utitur jure auctoris - An
assignee is clothed with rights of his
assignor.
Audi alteram partem - Hear the other
side.
Aula regis - The King's Court.
Benignior sententia in verbis
generalibus seu dubiis est preferenda
- The more favorable construction is
to be placed on general or doubtful
words.
Bis dat qui cito dat - He gives (pays)
twice who pays promptly.
Bona fide - Sincere, in good faith
Bona vacantia - Goods without an
owner
Boni judicis est ampliare
jurisdictionem - It is the part of a
good judge to enlarge his jurisdiction,
i.e. remedial authority.
Boni judicis est judicium sine
dilatione mandare executioni - It is
the duty of a good judge to cause
execution to issue on a judgment
without delay.
Boni judicis lites dirimere est - It is
the duty of a good judge to prevent
litigation.
Bonus judex secundum aequum et
bonum judicat et aequitatem stricto
juri praefert - A good judge decides
according to justice and right and
prefers equity to strict law.
Breve judiciale non cadit pro defectu
formae - A judicial writing does not
fail through defect of form.
Cadit quaestio - The matter admits of
no further argument.
Cassetur billa (breve) - Let the writ be
quashed.
Casus fortuitus non est spectandus;
et nemo tenetur divinare - A
fortuitous event is not to be foreseen
and no person is bound to divine it.
Catalla reputantur inter minima in
lege - Chattels are considered in law
among the minor things.
Causa proxima, non remota spectatur
- The immediate, and not the remote
cause is to be considered.
Caveat emptor - Let the purchaser
beware.
Caveat venditor - Let the seller
beware.
Cepi corpus et est languidum - I have
taken the body and the prisoner is
sick.
Cepi corpus et paratum habeo - I have
taken the body and have it ready.
Ceteris paribus - Other things being
equal.
Consensu - Unanimously or, by
general consent.
Consensus ad idem - Agreement as to
the same things.
Consuetudo loci observanda est - The
custom of the place is to be observed.
Contemporanea expositio est optima
et fortissima in lege - A
contemporaneous exposition is best
and most powerful in law.
Contra - To the contrary.
Contra bonos mores - Against good
morals.
Contra non valentem agere nulla
currit praescriptio - No prescription
runs against a person not able to act.
Contractus est quasi actus contra
actum - A contract is an act as it were
against an act.
Conventio et modus vincunt legem - A
contract and agreement overcome
the law.
Conventio privatorum non potest
publico juri derogare - An agreement
of private persons cannot derogate
from public right.
Coram Domino Rege - In the presence
of our Lord the King.
Coram non judice - Before one who is
not a judge.
Corpus - Body.
Corpus delicti - The body, i.e. the gist
of crime.
Corpus humanum non recipit
aestimationem - A human body is not
susceptible of appraisement.
Crescente malitia crescere debet et
poena - Vice increasing, punishment
ought also to increase.
Crimen omnia ex se nata vitiat - Crime
vitiates every thing, which springs
from it.
Crimen trahit personam - The crime
carries the person.
Cujus est dare, ejus est disponere -
He who has a right to give has the
right to dispose of the gift.
Cujus est solum, ejus est usque ad
coelam; et ad inferos - He who owns
the soil owns it up to the sky; and to
its depth.
Cum duo inter se pugnantia
reperiuntur in testamentis ultimum
ratum est - When two things
repugnant to each other are found in
a will, the last is to be confirmed.
Cursus curiae est lex curiae - The
practice of the court is the law of the
court.
Custos morum - A guardian of morals.
Damnum sine injuria - damage
without legal injury.
De bonis asportatis - Of goods carried
away.
De bonis non administratis - Of goods
not administered.
De die in diem - From day to day.
De facto - In fact.
De futuro - In the future.
De integro - As regards the whole.
De jure - Rightful, by right.
De minimis lex non curat - The law
does not notice trifling matters.
De novo - Starting afresh.
Debile fundamentum fallit opus -
Where there is a weak foundation, the
work fails.
Debita sequuntur personam debitoria
- Debts follow the person of the
debtor.
Debitor non praesumitur donare - A
debtor is not presumed to make a gift.
