A humble collection of Legal Maxims useful for Law students and Law practitioners…

A

1. actus curiae neminem gravabit
   • an act of the Court shall prejudice no man, or by a delay on the part of the Court neither party should suffer
2. ad idem
3. amicus curiae
4. Animus Deserendi
   • intention to bring cohabitation permanently to an end
5. A Priori
6. Au contraire
7. audi alteram partem
   • “listen to the other side”, or “let the other side be heard as well” or “no person shall be condemned unheard”

B

1. b
2. b

C

1. causa causans : The original, primary, fundamental, real, proximate, immediate or main cause of something; The last link / final link in the chain of *causation
2. casus omissus
   • a situation omitted from or not provided for by statute or regulation and therefore governed by the common law
3. coram non judice
4. causa sine qua non
   • some preceding but for which the causa causans could not have become operative.
5. causa justa : A true or just cause.
6. causa mortis : In respect of death.

D

1. dominus litus
2. de novo
3. dramatis personae

E

1. erga omnes
2. ex debito justitiae
3. ex proprio vigore

F

1. functus officio
2. f

G

1. g
2. g

 

H

1. h
2. h

 

I

1. Ubi jus ibi remedium
2. ipso facto
3. Ignorantia juris non excusat

 

J

1. j
2. j

K

1. k
2. k

 

L

1. Lex iniusta non est lex(an unjust law is not a true law)
2. locus classicus : an authoritative and often quoted passage from a standard work

 

M

1. m
2. m

 

N

1. Nemo debet esse judex in propria causa.
   • No man ought to be a judge in his own cause. The essence of the maxim has been incorporated in Section 479 of CrPC.
2. nemo judex in causa sua
   • no one should be a judge in their own cause

 

O

1. OPP
   • Onus to prove on plaintiff
2. OPR
   • Onus to prove on defendant

 

P

1. pari materia
2. particeps criminis
3. parens patriae
4. post-facto
5. Pacta privata juri publico non derogare possunt

 

Q

1. Quod per me non possum, nec per alium

 

R

1. res integra
2. res ipsa loquitur
3. res judicita

 

S

1. simpliciter
2. suo motu
3. sine die
4. sine qua non
5. Stare decisis : to stand in the-things-that-have-been-decided (Precedent)
6. Stare decisis et non quieta movere : to stand by decisions and not disturb the undisturbed
7. stricto sensu:
   • In the strict sense
8. sub silentio
9. sui generis

 

T

1. t
2. t

 

U

1. u
2. u

 

V

1. void ipso jure
2. Volenti non fit injuria

 

W

1. w
2. w

 

X

1. x
2. x

 

Y

1. y
2. y

 

Z

1. z
2. z