LIST OF LEGAL MAXIMS

1) Actio personalis moritur cum persona.- A personal right of

action dies with the person.
2) Actus curiae neminem gravabit.-An act of the court; hurts no
one.
3) Actus Dei vel legis nemini facit injuriam.-The act of God or of
law is prejudicial to no one.
4) Actus non facit reum, nisi mens sit rea.- The act itself does not
constitute guilt unless done with a guilty intent.
5) Actionable per se – Actions that do not require the allegation or
proof of additional facts to constitute a cause of action. Such a
tort is actionable simply because it happened.
6) Assentio mennitum – Latin definition of meeting of minds, the
moment when a contract is complete.
7) Ad officium jnsticiariorum spectat, uni cuique coram eis
placitanti justitiam exliibere —It is the duty of justices to
administer justice to everyone seeking it from them.
8) Argumentum a simili valet in lege —An argument from a like
case avails in law.
9) Actori incumbit onus proband - The weight of proof lies on a
plaintiff.
10) Actus judiciarius coram non judice irritus habetur; de
ministeriah autem a quocunque provenit ratum esto - A
judicial act done in excess of authority is not binding ; otherwise
as to a ministerial act.
11) Allegans contraria non est audiendus. -Contrary
allegations are not to be heard.
12) Ambiguitas verborum latens verificatione suppletur; nam
quod ex facto oritur ambiguum verificatione facti toUitur.-
Latent ambiguity of words may be supplied by evidence ; for
ambiguity arising upon the deed is removed by proof of the
deed.
13) Argamentum ab inconvenienti plurimum valet in lege.-
An argument from inconvenience avails much in law.
14) Assignatus utitur jure auctoris.- That which is assigned
takes with it for its use the rights of the assignor.
15) Audi adulterm partem – Hear the other side too.
16) Arma in armatos sumere jura sinunt —The laws permit
to take arms against armed persons.
17) Benigne faciendse sunt interpretationes, propter
simplicitatem laico- rum, ut res magis valeat quam pereat ; et
verba intention, non e con-tra, debent inservire.- Liberal
constructions of written documents are to be made, because of
the simplicity of the laity, and with a view to carry out the
intention of the parties and uphold the document ; and words
ought to made subservient, mt contrary to the intention.
18) Boni jndicis est ampliare jurisdictionem. -A good judge
will, -when necessary, extend the limits of his jurisdiction.
19) Caecee ad homines custodiendos, non ad puniendos, dari
debet- A prison should be assigned to the custody not for the
punishment of others.
20) Casus fortuitus non est sperandus ; et nemo tenetur
divin- A fortuitous event is not to be forseen, no person is
understood to be divine.
21) Cessante causa, cessat effectiis —When the cause ceases,
the effect ceases.
22) Caveat emptor; qui ignorare non debuit quod jue
alienum emit.- Let a purchaser beware; no one ought in
ignorance to buy that which is the right of another.
23) Certum est quod certum reddi potest.- That is certain
which is able to be rendered certain.
24) Cessante ratione legis, cessat ipsa lex.- The reason of the
law ceasing, the law itself ceases.
25) Communis error facit jus.- Common error makes right.
26) Consensus non concubitus facit matrimonium: et
consentire non pos- sunt ante annos nubiles.- Consent, and not
concubinage, constitutes marriage; and they are not able to
consent before marriageable years.
27) Cessante ratione legis, cessat ipsa lex —The reason of the
law ceasing, the law itself ceases
28) Consensus toilet errorem.- Consent takes away error.
29) Cogitationis poenam nemo meretur – No man deserves
punishment for a thought.
30) Commercium jure gentium commune esse debet, et non
in monopolium et privatum paucorum qusestum eonver-
tendum —Commerce, by the law of nations, ought to be
common, and not converted to monopoly and the private gain of
a few.
31) Communis error facit jus —Common error makes right .
32) Contemporanea expositio est optima et fortissima in
lege.-A contemporaneous exposition is the best and strongest in
law.
33) Cuicunque aliquis quid concedit, concedere videtur et id
sine quo res ipsa esse non potuit.-The grantor of anything to
another grants that also without which the thing granted would
be useless.
34) Cuilibet in sua arte perito est credendum-. Whosoever is
skilled in his profession is to be believed.
35) Cujus est solum, ejus est usque ad coelum ; et ad
inferos.- Whose is the land, his is also that which is above and
below it.
36) Confessio, facta in judicio, omni probatione major est —
A confession made in judicial proceedings is of greater force
than all proof.
37) Conflrmare nemo potest priusquam jus ei accident —No
person can confirm a right before the right shall come to him.
38) Contemporanea expositio est optima et fortissima in lege
—A contemporaneous exposition is the best and strongest in the
law.
39) Contrectatio rei alienee, animo furandi, est furtum —The
touching of property not one's own, with an intention to steal, is
theft.
40) Cum duo inter se pugnantia reperiuntur in testamento,
ultimum ratum est.- Where two clauses in a will are repugnant
one to the other, the last in order shall prevail.
41) Cursus curiae est lex curiae. -The practice of the court is
the law of the court.
42) Damnum sine injuria – damage without injury.
43) De fide et officio jndicis non recipitur qusestio ; sed de
scientia, sive error sit juris aut facti.- Of the good faith and
intention of a judge, a question cannot be entertained ; but it is
otherwise as to his knowledge or error, be it in law or in fact.
44) De minimis non curat lex – Of trifles the law does not
concern itself .
45) Derivativa potestas non potest esse major primitiva —The
power derived cannot be great-
46) De non apparentibus , et non existetibus , eadem est
ratio- Of things which do not appear and of things which do not
exist the rule of legal proceeding is not the same.
47) Domnus sua quique est tutissimum refugium – to
everyone his house is his safest refuge.
48) Ex anticidentibus et consiquentibus fit optima
interpretatio – from that which goes before and from that which
follows is derived the best interpretation.
49) De simihbus idem est judicium —Concerning similars the
judgment is the same.
50) Duo non possunt in solido unam rem possidere —Two
persons cannot possess one thing in entirety.
51) Ex dolo malo non oritur action – from fraud a right of
action does not rise.
52) Excutio juris non habet injurium - the execution of the
process of law does not cause injury.
53) Ex nudo pacto non oritur action – without a consideration
a contract does not arise.
54) Expressio unius personae , vel rei, ex exclusion alterius –
the express mention of one thing is the exclusion of another
55) Ex post facto – is a law that retroactively changes the legal
consequences of actions that were committed or relationships
that existed before the enactment of the law.
56) Furiosus stipulare non potest, nee aliquid negotium
agere, qui non intelligit quid agit —A madman who knows not
what he does, cannot make a bargain,
57) Hteres est nomen collectivum —Heir is a collective name.
58) Ignorantia facti excusat ; ignorantia juris non excusat.-
Ignorance of the fact excuses ; ignorance of the law does not
excuse.
59) Idem agens et patiens esse non potest —The same person
cannot be both the agent and the patient.
60) Idem est nihil dicere et insufiicienter dicere —It is the
same thing to say nothing and not to say sufficient.
61) In criminalibus probationes debent esse luce clariores —
In criminal cases the proofs ought to be clearer than light.
62) In equali jure, melior est conditio possidentis.- In equal
rights, the condition of the possessor is the better.
63) In flctione juris semper equitas existit. - In fiction of law
equity always exists.
64) In jure non remota causa, sed proxima, spectatur.- In law
the proximate, and not the remote cause, is to be regarded.
65) Injuria sine damnum – legal injury without damage.
66) Interest reipublicse ut sit finis litium.- It concerns the
State that there be an end of lawsuits.
67) Jus cogens – refers to certain fundamental principles of
international law, from which no derogation is ever permitted.
68) Leges posteriores priores contrarias abrogant.- Later
laws abrogate prior contrary laws.
69) Licet dispositio de interesse future sit inutilis, tamen flieri
potest declaratio prsecedens quae sortiatur efiectum,
interveniente novo actu.- Although the grant of a future interest
is invalid, yet a precedent declaration may be made, which will
take effect on the intervention. of some new act.
70) Modus et conventio vincunt legem. - Custom and
agreement overrule law.
71) Mors dicitur ultimum supplicium —Death is denominated
the extreme penalty.
72) Necessitas inducit privilegium quoad jura privata.-
Necessity induces or gives a privilege as to private rights.
73) Nemo debet bis vexari, si constat curiae quod sit pro una
et eadem causa. - No man ought to be twice punished, if it be
proved to the court that it be for one and the same cause.
74) Nemo debet esse judex in propria causa - No one should
be judge in his own cause.
75) Nemo est hijeres viventis. - No one is heir of the living.
76) Necessitas vineit legem; legum vincula irridet—Necessity
overcomes law ; it breaks the chains of law.
77) Nulla peona sine lege- one can not be punished for
committing something that is not prohibited by the law.
78) Nemo patriam in qua natus est exuere, nee ligeantiae
debitum ejurare possit.- A man cannot abjure his native
country, nor the allegiance he owes his sovereign.
79) Nemo tenetur seipsum accusare. - No one is bound to
criminate himself.
80) Nimia subtilitas injure reprobatur, et talis certitudo
certitudinem confundit.- Nice and subtle distinctions are not
 sanctioned by the law; for so apparent certainty would be made
to confound true and legal certainty.
81) Non potest adduci exceptio ejus rei cujuspetitur
dissolutio.- It is not permitted to adduce a plea of the matter in
issue as a bar thereto.
82) Noscituss a sociis.- The meaning of a word may be
ascertained by reference to those asso- ciated with it.
83) Nova constitutio futuris formam imponere debet, non
prseteritis.- A new law ought to impose form on what is to
follow, not on the past.
84) Nullus commodum capere potest de injuria sua propria. -
No one can take advantage of his own wrong.
85) Omnia praesumuntur contra spoliatorem.- All things are
presumed against a wrong- doer.
86) Omnia praesumuntur rite et solenniter esse acta.- All
things are presumed to be correctly and solemnly done.
87) Omnis ratihabitio retrotrahitur, et mandate priori
sequiparatur. - Every ratification of an act already done has a
retrospective effect, andis equal to a previous request to do it.
88) Optimus interpres rerum usuage. - The best interpreter of
things is usage.
89) Persona conjuncta sequiparatur interesse proprio. - A
personal connection equals in law a man's own proper interest.
90) Pacta sund servananda – Latin for agreements are
binding, basic principle of civil, international and canon law.
91) Politise legibus non leges politis adaptands —Politics are
to be adapted to the laws, and not the laws to politics.
92) Privatum incommodum publico bono pensatur —Private
loss is compensated by public good.
93) Persona non grata – refers to a person whose entry or
remaining in a country is prohibited by that country’s
government.
94) Quid pro quo – latin for something for something.
95) Quando jus domini regis et subditi concurrunt, jus regis
prseferri debet. - When the rights of the king and of the subject
concur, those of the king are to be preferred.
96) Quando lex aliquid alicui concedit, concedere videtur id
sine quo res ipsa esse non potest. -When the law gives anything
to any one, it gives also all those things without which the thing
itself would be unavailable.
97) Quando plus fit quam fieri debet, videtur etiam illud fieri
quod facien- dum est.- When more is done than ought to be
done, then that is considered to have been done which ought to
have been done.
98) Quicquid plantatur solo solo cedit. - Whatever is affixed
to the soil belongs to the soil.

99) Quicquid solvitur, solvitur secundum modum solventis ;

quicquid recipitur, recipitur secundum modum recipientis. -
Whatever is paid, is paid according to the intention or manner of
the party paying; whatever is received, is received according to
the intention or manner of the party receiving.
100) Qui facit per alium facit per se. - He who does anything
by another, does it by himself.
101) Qui haeret in litera haeret in cortice.- He who sticks to
the letter, sticks to the bark: or, he who considers the letter
merely of an instrument cannot comprehend its meaning.
102) Qui jussu judicis aliquod fecerit, non videtur dolo malo
fecisse, quia parere necesse est. - He who doss anything by
command of a judge will not be supposed to have acted from an
improper motive ; because it was necessary to obey.
103) Quilibet potest renunciare juri pro se introducto.- Every
man is able to renounce a right introduced for himself
104) Qui prior est tempore potior est jure. - He who is first in
time has the strongest claim in law.
105) Qui sentit commodum, sentire debet et onus ; et e
contra.- He who enjoys the benefit ought also to bear the burden
; and the contrary.
106) Quod ab initio non valet, in tractu temporis non
convalescit. - That which is bad from the beginning does not
improve by length of time.
107) Quod remedio destituitur ipsa re valit si culpa absit. -
That which is without remedy avails of itself, if without fault.
108) Eea inter alios acta alteri nocere non debet. - One person
ought not to be injured by the acts of others to which he is a
stranger.
109) Respondeat superior. - Let the principal answer.
110) Salus populi suprema lex. - The welfare of the people, or
of the public, is supreme law.
111) Sic utere tuo ut alienum non lasdas.- Don’t use your own
property as not to injure your neighbours.
112) Summa ratio est quae pro religione facit. - The highest
rule of conduct is that which is induced by religion.
113) Ubi eadem ratio ibi idem lex, et de sicoilibus idem est
judicium.- Where there is the same reason, there is the same
law
114) Ubi jus ibi remedium.- Where there is a right there is a
remedy.
115) Utile per inutile non vitiatur. - That which is useful is not
rendered useless by that which is useless.
116) Verba chartarum fortius accipiuntur contra proferentem
- The words of deeds are to be taken most strongly against him
who uses them.
117) Verba generalia restringuntur ad habilitatem rei vel
aptitudinem personse. - General words are restrained according
to the nature of the thing or of the person.
118) Verba relata hoc maxime operantur per referentiam ut iu
eis in esse videntur. Words to which reference ia made in an
 instrument have the same effect and operation as if they were
inserted into the instrument referring to them.
119) Vigilantibus, et non dormientibus, jura subveniunt. - The
vigilant, and not the sleepy, are assisted by the laws.
120) Volenti non fit injuria. – That to which a man consents
can not be considered an injury.