136 Little-known Latin Legal Maxims And Phrases

Latin legal maxims and phrases are very important for advocacy. Latin legal terms are useful when you express a long sentence in a short form. I love Latin maxims a lot. Many exams like the Judicial service commission when taking exams to appoint judges they include Latin terms in the question.

Today I am sharing with you some most important Latin maxims and phrases with you. But, 136 of them I am searing with you. All will be given in a very short time.

1. A communi observantia non est recedendum: There should be no departure from ordinary rules.
2. A verbis legis non recedendum est: The words of the law must not be departed from.
3. Accessorium non ducit sed sequitur suum principale: The accessory does not lead but follows its principal.
4. Accusare nemo se debet, nisi coram Deo: No one is in duty bound to accuse himself unless before God. In certain cases a witness is not compelled to answer, if by so doing he would incriminate himself.
5. Acquitas agit in personam: Equity acts in person
6. Actio personalis moritur cum persona: A personal action dies with the person.
7. Acta exteriora indicant interiora secreta: Overt acts make known latent thoughts, or Acts indicate the intention.
8. Ars longa, vita brevis: Art is long and life is short.
9. Actor sequitur forum rei: The plaintiff follows the forum of the defendant.
10. Actori incumbit onus probandi: The burden of proof lies on the plaintiff or on the complainant.
11. Actus curiae neminem gravabit: The act of the Court shall prejudice no man.
12. Actus Dei nemini facit injuriam: The act of God causes injury to no one. Storms, tempests, and the like, are acts of God, being inevitable accidents not caused by man.
13. Actus legies nemienie est damnosus: The Act of the law is hurtful to no one.
14. Actus legitimi non reciunt modum: An act of law shall prejudice no man.
15. Actus me invito, non est meus actus: An involuntary act is not one’s own act, i.e., an act done against one’s will is not such persons act.
16. Actus non facit reum, nisi mens sit rea: The act itself does not make a man guilty, unless his intention be so.
17. Ad questiones facit non respondent judices; ad questiones juris non respondent juratores: A judge does not decide questions of fact, the jury do not decide questions of law.
18. Adatu: From the date
19. Adversus extraneous vitiosa possessio prodesse solet: Prior possession is a good title of ownership against all who cannot show a better.
20. Aequitas est quasi aequalitas: Equity delighteth in equality
21. Aequitas factum habet quod fieri oportuit: Equity considers that as done which ought to be done.
22. Acquitus sequitur legem: Equity follows the law
23. Agentes et consentientes pari poena plectautur: Acting and consenting parties are liable to the same punishment
24. Alienatio rei praefertur juri accrescendi: Law favours alienation rather than accumulation.
25. Aliud est celare, aliud tacere: Silence and concealment are not the same.
26. Allegans contraria non est audiendus: A person adducing to the contrary is not to be heard.
27. Ambiguitas contra stipulatorem est: An ambiguity is taken against the party using it.
28. Ambiguitas verborum patens nulla verificatione excluditur: A patent ambiguity of the words cannot be removed by extrinsic evidence.
29. Animus hominis est anima scripti: The intent of a man is the essence of his writing
30. Apices juris non sunt jura: The law must avoid the falsehood of extreme
31. Aqua cedit solo: Water passes with the soil.
32. Aqua currit et debet currere: Water flows and should be allowed to flow.
33. Assignatus utitur jure auctoris: An assignee is clothed with the rights of his principal.
34. Audi alteram partem: Hear the other side (ie., Do not condemna man unheard).
35. Anegans contraria non est audiendus: One who contradicts himself is not to be heard.
36. Auctori incumbit onus proband: The onus of proof lies on theplaintiff.
37. Bello parta cedunt reipublicae: Things captured in war belong to State
38. Bellum ominium contra ommes: Everybody is at war with everybody else
39. Benignae faciendae sunt interpretationes chartarum, ut res magis valeat quam pereat: Constructions of documents are to be made favourably, that the instrument may rather avail than perish.
40. Bis dat qui cito dat: He gives twice who gives quickly.
41. Boni judicis est ampliare jurisdictionem: It is the part of a good judge to enlarge his jurisdiction
42. Boni judicis est judicium sine dilione mandare exceutioni: It is the duty of a good judge to order judgment to be executed without delay
43. Boni judicis est lites dirimere ne lis ex lite: It is the duty of goodjudge to prevent litigation.
44. Bonis non amovendis: That the goods be not removed
45. Breve judiciale non credit pro defectu formae: A judicial writ fails not through defect of form.
46. By stander: One who stands fear, a chance looker-on
47. ** Capias ad audiendum judicium: That you take to hear judgment
48. Causa causans: Proximate cause.
49. Causa falsa: Due to error.
50. Causa non secuta: Failure of consideration
51. Causa proxima non remota spectatur: The immediate, not theremote cause, is to be considered
52. Causam nobis significes quare: A writ to a mayor of a town.
53. Caveat emptor qui ignorare non debuit quod jus alienum emit: Let a purchaser beware; no one ought in ignorance to buy that which is the right of another
54. Caveat emptor: Let the buyer beware (who ought not to be ignorant what he buys from another)
55. Caveat venditor: Let the seller beware
56. Censor: One who examines publications, films and the like for objectionable content
57. Cessante causa, cessat effectus: When the cause ceases the effect ceases also.
58. Cessante ratione legis, cessat ipsa lex: The reason of the law being at an end, the law itself ceases. – Steele.
59. Charta de non ente valet: A deed about a non-existent thing is not valid
60. Chirographum apud debitorem repertum praesumitur solutum: A deed found with a debtor is presumed to be satisfied, or when a person is in possession of a document under which he is bound. to pay money, then a presumption arises that he had paid the-Jowitt
61. Chose-in-action: An actionable claim.
62. Civitas dei: Commonwealth of God
63. Civitas maxima: Community of civilised mankind
64. Civitas terrena. Mundane (worldly) commonwealth
65. Clausulae inconsuetae semper inducunt suspicionem: Unusual clatises always excite suspicion.
66. Cogitationis poenam nemo meretur: The thoughts and intents of men are not punishable
67. Cognovit actionem: He had admitted the action.
68. Commodum ex injuria sua nemo habere debet: No one should have an advantage from his own wrong.
69. Communis error facit jus: A precedent, even though erroneous, will make valid law, if its authority has been so widely accepted and relied on that its reversal has become inexpedient in the interests of justice.- Salmond
70. Compendia sunt dispendia, et melius est petere fontes quam sectari rivulos: It is ever good to rely upon the book a large, for many times.
71. Compossessio: Common possession.
72. Compulsa: A judicial attested copy of a testimonio
73. Conditio sine qua non: A condition without which the matter cannot be or Necessary condition
74. Consensus tollit errorem: Consent removes a mistake;
75. Consentientes et agentes pari poena plectentur: The abettor and the doer receive the same punishment
76. Constitutum possessorium: Transfer of mediate possession, while the immediate possession remains in the transfer (by an agreement touching possession).
77. Constructio legis, non fecit injurium: Construction of the law causes no injury.
78. Consuetude ex certa causa rationabili usitata privat communem legem: A custom based on a certain reasonable foundation abrogates the common law. or A custom grounded on a certain reasonable cause supersedes the common law-Steele 81)
79. Consuetudo loci est observanda: Custom of a place must be observed
80. Consuetudo pro lege servatur: Custom is protected by the law.
81. Consuetudo semel reprobata non potest amplius induci: A custom when once disallowed cannot be relied upon.
82. Contemporanea exposito est optima et fortissima in lege: A contemporaneous interpretation is the best and strongest in law.
83. Contra non valentem agere nulla currit praescriptio: No prescription runs against one unable to act. Prescription does not run against a party who is unable to act.
84. Contra proferentem: In interpretation of a document the principle that an ambiguity should be interpreted in the sense unfavorable to the party who drafted and put forward the document.
85. Contractus ex turpi causa, vel contra bonos mores, nullus est action: A contract arising from a base consideration, or against morality, is void. Such as betting or wagering contract.
86. Copulatio verborum indicat acceptationem in eodum sensu: The joining of words shows that they are to be understood in the same sense.
87. Corpus delicti: The body i.e. the gist of the offence
88. Corpus juris canonic: Canon law; law governing the Church
89. Corpus possidendi: Physical possession of material object
90. Cuicunque aliquis quid concedit, concedere videtur et id sine quo res ipsa esse non potuit: Whoever grants a thing is deemed also to grant that without which the grant itself would be of no effect
91. Cuilibet in sua arte perito est credendum: Each one skilled in his own art is to be believed, or Credence should be given to one skilled in his particular profession.
92. Cujus est dare, ejus est disponere: Whose it is to give, his it is todispose;
93. Cujus est divisio, alterius est electio: When one divides, the other has the right of first choice.
94. Cujus est polum, ejus est usque ad coelum et ad inferos: Whose is the land, his also is all which above and below it.
95. Culpa lata dole equiparatur: Gross negligence is equivalent to intentional wrong.
96. Cum confitente sponte, mitius est agendum: He who willingly confesses, should be dealt with more leniently.
97. Cum duo inter se pugnantia reperiuntur in testamento ultimum ratum est: Where two repugnant clauses (or statements) occur in a will, the latter shall prevail.
98. Curator: A temporary guardian appointed by court to care for property or person of a minor
99. Curia advisare vult: Court desires to consider. In difficult cases judgment is frequently reserved.
100. Curia parliamenti suis propriis legibus subsistitit: The court of parliament is governed by its own peculiar laws
101. Cursus curiae est lex curiae The practice of the court is the law of the court
102. Custos morum: Custodian of marality
103. Damage feasant: To whom damage is done
104. Damnum absque injuria: Loss od damage which does not amount to legal wrong, loss or damage without legal injury
105. Damnum infectum: Loss not yet sufferred but only apprehended
106. Damnum sentit dominus: The Lord suffers the damage
107. Damnum sine injuria esse potest: All damages done is not wrongful
108. De arbitratione facto: A writ issued when an action was brought for a cause already settled by arbitration.
109. De bonis asportasis: Wrongful taking of goods (in case of trespass).
110. De fide et oflacio juridicis non recipitur quaestio, sed de scientia sive sit error juris sive facti: The decision of a judge may be impugned only for error either in law or of fact, but his honesty of purpose or office cannot be questioned.
111. De minimis non curat lex: The law cares not about mere trifles.
112. Debita sequuntur personam detaitoris: Debts follow the debtor’s person.
113. Debite fundamentum fetill opus: When the foundation falls everything falls
114. Debitor non praesumitur donare: A debtor is not presumed to give.
115. Debitum et contractus sunt nullius loci: Debts and contracts are of no place
116. Deficiente uno non potest esse haeres: There being no unity of blood, one cannot be heir.
117. Delegata potestas non potest delegari: A delegate cannot further delegate
118. Delegatus non potest delegare: An agent cannot delegate his authority.
119. Delicatus debitor est odiosus in lege: An extravagant debtor is contemned in the eye of the law.
120. Delict: Wrong; tort
121. Deolo malo pactum se non servabit: A pact made with malicious intent will not be upheld
122. Deprivativa potestas non potest esse major primitive: Derived power cannot be greater than that from which it is derived
123. Deus solus haeredem facere potest, non homo: God alone able to make an heir and not man.
124. Dies Dominicus non est juridicus: Sunday is not a day for judicial proceedings.
125. Dies inceptus pro complete habetur: A day begun is held as complete.
126. Dolosus versatur in generalibus: A deceiver deals in generalities
127. Dolus auctoris non nocket sucessori: The fraud of a predecessorprejudices not his successor.
128. Dolus malus: Wrongful intent
129. Dominus protempore: Not the owner of the property but temporarily in possession of it.
130. Domus sua cuique est tutissimum refugium: To every man his own house is the safest refuge
131. Dona clandestina sunt semper suspiciosa: Clandestine gifts are always suspicious.
132. Donatio non praesumitur: A gift is not presumed.
133. Donatio perficitur possessione accipientis: A gift is perfected by the possession thereof by the donee.
134. Dormiunt aliquando leges, nunquam moriuntur: Although the laws sometimes sleep, they never die.
135. Duo non possunt in solido unam rem possidere: Two cannot possess the whole of one thing in specie.
136. Similibus idem est judicium: Decisions of the contemporaneous superior courts should be respected

If you want to know meaning of any Latin Maxims please let me comment in comment box.