LEGAL LATIN PHRASES
AND MAXIMS
-------------------------A------------------------
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.
-------------------------B------------------------
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.
-------------------------C------------------------
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.
-------------------------D------------------------
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.
Debitum et contractus sunt nullius loci - Debt and
contract are of no particular place.
Debitum in praesenti, solvendum in futuro - A present
debt is to be discharged in the future.
Delegata potestas non potest delegari - A delegated
authority cannot be again delegated.
Derivativa potestas non potest esse major primitiva -
The power which is derived cannot be greater than that
from which it is derived.
Deus solus haeredem facere potest, non homo - God
alone, not man, can make an heir.
Dies Dominicus non est juridicus - Sunday is not a day
in law.
Discretio est discernere per legem quid sit justum -
Discretion is to discern through law what is just.
Doli incapax - Incapable of crime.
Dominium - Ownership.
Domus sua cuique est tutissimum refugium - Every
mans house is his safest refuge.
Dona clandestina sunt semper suspiciosa - Clandestine
gifts are always suspicious.
Dormiunt leges aliquando, nunquam moriuntur - The
laws sometimes sleep, but never die.
Doti lex favet; praemium pudoris est; ideo parcatur -
The law favors dower; it is the reward of chastity,
therefore let it be preserved.
Dubitante - Doubting the correctness of the decision.
Duo non possunt in solido unam rem possidere - Two
cannot possess one thing each in entirety.
