100 Important Legal Maxims for CLAT Exam
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Actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea – An act does not make a person guilty unless there is a guilty mind.
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Audi alteram partem – Hear the other side.
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Nemo judex in causa sua – No one should be a judge in his own case.
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Volenti non fit injuria – To a willing person, no injury is done.
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Res ipsa loquitur – The thing speaks for itself.
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Ignorantia juris non excusat – Ignorance of the law is no excuse.
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Injuria sine damno – Legal injury without actual damage.
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Damnum sine injuria – Damage without legal injury.
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Qui facit per alium facit per se – He who acts through another does the act himself.
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Ubi jus ibi remedium – Where there is a right, there is a remedy.
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Falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus – False in one thing, false in everything.
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Salus populi suprema lex – Welfare of the people is the supreme law.
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Caveat emptor – Let the buyer beware.
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Caveat venditor – Let the seller beware.
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Ex turpi causa non oritur actio – No action arises from an immoral cause.
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De minimis non curat lex – The law does not concern itself with trifles.
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Nemo debet esse judex in propria causa – No one should be a judge in his own cause.
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Pacta sunt servanda – Agreements must be kept.
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Lex talionis – Law of retaliation.
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Lex non cogit ad impossibilia – The law does not compel the impossible.
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Lex loci – The law of the place.
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Bona fide – In good faith.
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Mala fide – In bad faith.
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Mens rea – Guilty mind.
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Actus reus – Guilty act.
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Mutatis mutandis – With necessary changes.
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Obiter dicta – Things said by the way.
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Ratio decidendi – The reason for the decision.
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Habeas corpus – You may have the body.
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Mandamus – We command.
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Certiorari – To be informed.
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Quo warranto – By what authority.
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Pro bono publico – For the public good.
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Noscitur a sociis – A word is known by the company it keeps.
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Ejusdem generis – Of the same kind.
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Expressio unius est exclusio alterius – The express mention of one excludes the other.
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Stare decisis – To stand by what is decided.
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Res judicata – A matter already judged.
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Sub judice – Under judgment.
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Per incuriam – Through lack of care.
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Corpus delicti – The body of the crime.
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Locus standi – Right to bring an action.
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In limine – At the outset.
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Prima facie – At first sight.
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Inter alia – Among other things.
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Ipso facto – By the fact itself.
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Alibi – Elsewhere.
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Ad hoc – For this.
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Sine die – Without a day.
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Sine qua non – An essential condition.
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Ultra vires – Beyond the powers.
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Intra vires – Within the powers.
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Status quo – The existing state of affairs.
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Amicus curiae – Friend of the court.
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Animus nocendi – Intention to harm.
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Animus possidendi – Intention to possess.
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Animus revertendi – Intention to return.
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Consensus ad idem – Meeting of the minds.
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Nemo dat quod non habet – No one can give what they do not have.
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Lex posterior derogat priori – A later law repeals an earlier one.
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Lex specialis derogat generali – Special law overrides general law.
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Fiat justitia ruat caelum – Let justice be done though the heavens fall.
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Amicus curiae – A friend of the court.
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Re ipsa loquitur – The thing speaks for itself.
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Delegatus non potest delegare – A delegate cannot further delegate.
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Interest reipublicae ut sit finis litium – It is in the interest of the state that there be an end to litigation.
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In pari delicto potior est conditio defendentis – Where both parties are at fault, the defendant is in the stronger position.
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Ex parte – From one side only.
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Doli incapax – Incapable of evil (generally a minor).
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Consensus facit legem – Consent makes the law.
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Qui prior est tempore potior est jure – He who is earlier in time is stronger in law.
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Turpi causa – Immoral or illegal cause.
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Vis major – Superior force.
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Vicarious liability – Liability for the acts of another.
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Ratio legis est anima legis – The reason of the law is the soul of the law.
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Voluntas reputatur pro facto – The will is to be taken for the deed.
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Lex fori – The law of the court.
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Culpa lata dolo aequiparatur – Gross negligence is equivalent to fraud.
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Ignorantia facti excusat – Ignorance of fact is an excuse.
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Contradictio in adjecto – A contradiction in terms.
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Lex domicilii – Law of the domicile.
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Contemporanea expositio est optima et fortissima in lege – The best way to interpret a document is to read it as it would have been read when it was written.
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Solutio indebiti – Repayment of what is not due.
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Nullum crimen sine lege – No crime without law.
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Pari passu – Equally and without preference.
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Necessitas non habet legem – Necessity knows no law.
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Non compos mentis – Not of sound mind.
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Quid pro quo – Something for something.
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In promptu – In readiness.
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Contra bonos mores – Against good morals.
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In dubio pro reo – When in doubt, for the accused.
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Non obstante – Notwithstanding.
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Sub poena – Under penalty.
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Testamenta latrantia – Barking wills (invalid documents).
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Dictum – A statement of opinion.
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Ratio legis – Reason of the law.
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Rebus sic stantibus – Things thus standing (changed circumstances).
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Restitutio in integrum – Restoration to original condition.
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Contra legem – Against the law.
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Curia advisari vult – The court wishes to be advised.
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