Define: Maxims

In law, maxims are concise statements or principles that encapsulate fundamental legal concepts or rules. These maxims often derive from historical legal traditions and serve as guiding principles for interpreting statutes, making legal arguments, and rendering judgments. Maxims in law are typically expressed in Latin or other languages and are frequently cited to support legal reasoning and decision-making. They represent foundational principles that help clarify legal concepts, establish precedent, and ensure consistency in legal interpretation and application. Maxims in law are essential tools for lawyers, judges, and legal scholars in understanding and applying the principles of jurisprudence.

They are listed in the codified statutes of most states, and include:

• “When the reason of a rule ceases, so should the rule itself.”
• “He who consents to an act is not wronged by it.”
• “No one can take advantage of his own wrong.”
• “No one should suffer by the act of another.”
• “He who takes the benefit must bear the burden.”
• For every wrong, there is a remedy.
• “Between rights otherwise equal, the earliest is preferred.”
• “No man is responsible for that which no man can control.”
• “The law helps the vigilant, before those who sleep on their rights.”
• “The law respects form less than substance.”
• “The law never requires impossibilities.”
• “The law neither does nor requires idle acts.”
• “The law disregards trifles.”
• “Particular expressions qualify those which are general.”
• “That is certain which can be made certain.”
• “Time does not confirm a void act.”
• “An interpretation which gives effect is preferred to one which makes void.”
• Interpretation must be reasonable.
• “Things happen according to the ordinary course of nature and the ordinary habits of life.

This site contains general legal information but does not constitute professional legal advice for your particular situation. Persuing this glossary does not create an attorney-client or legal adviser relationship. If you have specific questions, please consult a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.

This glossary post was last updated: 29th March, 2024.