Legal maxims are short, established principles or rules of law, often derived from Latin, used in legal reasoning and interpretation. They are crucial for aspirants of judicial services, law entrance exams, and bar council examinations. Below is a curated list of 100 most important legal maxims along with their meanings:
Actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea – An act does not make a person guilty unless there is a guilty mind.
Audi alteram partem – Hear the other side.
Nemo judex in causa sua – No one should be a judge in his own case.
Ignorantia juris non excusat – Ignorance of the law is no excuse.
Ignorantia facti excusat – Ignorance of fact is an excuse.
Injuria sine damno – Legal injury without actual damage.
Damnum sine injuria – Actual damage without legal injury.
Volenti non fit injuria – No injury is done to one who consents.
Res ipsa loquitur – The thing speaks for itself.
Ubi jus ibi remedium – Where there is a right, there is a remedy.
Lex non cogit ad impossibilia – The law does not compel the impossible.
Fiat justitia ruat caelum – Let justice be done though the heavens fall.
Salus populi suprema lex – The welfare of the people is the supreme law.
Qui facit per alium facit per se – He who acts through another does the act himself.
Caveat emptor – Let the buyer beware.
Caveat venditor – Let the seller beware.
Nemo debet esse judex in propria causa – No one ought to be judge in his own cause.
Ex turpi causa non oritur actio – No action arises from an immoral cause.
Consensus ad idem – Agreement to the same thing.
Lex talionis – Law of retaliation (an eye for an eye).
Pacta sunt servanda – Agreements must be kept.
Stare decisis – To stand by things decided.
Obiter dicta – Things said by the way.
Ratio decidendi – The reason for the decision.
Actori incumbit onus probandi – The burden of proof lies on the plaintiff.
Alibi – Elsewhere; a defence claiming the accused was elsewhere.
Amicus curiae – A friend of the court.
Animus possidendi – Intention to possess.
Bona fide – In good faith.
Mala fide – In bad faith.
De facto – In fact.
De jure – By law.
Doli incapax – Incapable of committing crime.
Functus officio – Having performed his duty.
Habeas corpus – Produce the body (used to seek release from unlawful detention).
Inter vivos – Between the living.
In personam – Against a person.
In rem – Against a thing.
Locus standi – Right to appear in court.
Mandamus – We command (a writ commanding performance of duty).
Certiorari – To be informed (writ to quash lower court’s order).
Quo warranto – By what authority (writ questioning authority of a person).
Pro bono – For the public good.
Mens rea – Guilty mind.
Actus reus – Guilty act.
Ultra vires – Beyond powers.
Intra vires – Within powers.
Nemo dat quod non habet – One cannot give what one does not have.
Lex loci – Law of the place.
Corpus delicti – Body of the crime.
Contra bonos mores – Against good morals.
Mutatis mutandis – With necessary changes.
Noscitur a sociis – A word is known by the company it keeps.
Ejusdem generis – Of the same kind.
Expressio unius est exclusio alterius – The express mention of one excludes the others.
Delegatus non potest delegare – A delegate cannot delegate.
Donatio mortis causa – Gift in contemplation of death.
Reus – Accused or guilty party.
Sub judice – Under judgment.
Status quo – The existing state of affairs.
Prima facie – At first sight.
Per incuriam – Through lack of care.
Res judicata – A matter already judged.
Estoppel – Preventing contradiction of earlier statement.
Ad idem – Of the same mind.
Lex posterior derogat priori – Later law repeals the earlier one.
Ex parte – Proceedings in absence of one party.
Ipso facto – By the fact itself.
Jus naturale – Natural law.
Jus cogens – Compelling law.
Obligatio – Legal obligation.
Ratio legis – Reason of the law.
Lex fori – Law of the forum (court).
Jus ad rem – Right to a thing.
Jus in personam – Personal right.
Jus in rem – Real right.
Lex loci contractus – Law of the place where the contract is made.
Modus operandi – Method of operating.
Necessitas non habet legem – Necessity knows no law.
Parens patriae – Parent of the nation (state’s responsibility).
Rex non potest peccare – The king can do no wrong.
Sine die – Without a day fixed.
Sine qua non – An essential condition.
Terra nullius – Land belonging to no one.
Vigilantibus non dormientibus jura subveniunt – The law assists the vigilant, not those who sleep.
Contra legem – Against the law.
Fiat – Let it be done.
Ibi semper est victoria ubi est concordia – Victory lies where there is unity.
In loco parentis – In the place of a parent.
Jus soli – Right of the soil.
Jus sanguinis – Right of blood.
Malum in se – Wrong in itself.
Malum prohibitum – Wrong because prohibited.
Nullum crimen sine lege – No crime without law.
Nulla poena sine lege – No punishment without law.
Res gestae – Things done; relevant facts.
Secus – Otherwise; differently.
Stare rationibus decidendi – Adhere to the reasons for decisions.
Verba fortius accipiuntur contra proferentem – Words are to be taken more strongly against the party using them.
Acta exteriora indicant interiora secreta – External actions show internal secrets.
These legal maxims are essential tools for legal reasoning, interpretation, and answering principle-based questions in law exams. Memorizing and understanding their application will give law aspirants an edge in competitive exams.
About The Author
