Scribd
Upload
2K views10 pages

Legal Latin Phrases and Maxims

Uploaded by

Peter Javines
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
2K views10 pages

Legal Latin Phrases and Maxims

Uploaded by

Peter Javines
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 10

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.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy