BASIC LEGAL MAXIMS

1.

Aberatio Ictus Mistake in a blow, that is, when the offender intending to do an injury to one
person actually inflicts it to another.

2. Absenti Nemo Ne Necuisse Velit- Let no one be willing to speak ill of the absent. 3. Actus Me Invito Factus Non Est Meus Actus An act done by me against my will is not my act. 4. Actus Non Facit Reum, Nisi Mens Sit Rea The act does not make a person criminal unless his mind be criminal. 5. Animus Manendi Intention to remain. 6. Animus Revertendi Intention to return. 7. Caso Fortuito Fortuitous event. 8. Causa Proxima Non Remota Spectatur The law considers the proximate cause and not the remote one. 9. Caveat Emptor Let the buyer beware. 10. Corpus Delicti The body of the crime. 11. Culpa fault 12. Damnum Absque Injuria Damage without legal injury. There can be damage without legal injury in those instances in which the loss was not the result of a violation of a legal injury. 13. Delegare Non Potest Delegare - What has been delegated cannot be further delegated. 14. Delito Felony 15. Dolo Deceit (Fraud) 16. Ejusdem Generis An enumeration of a class of things includes all others of the same class. 17. Expressio Unius Est Exclusio Alterius The express mention of things excluded, excludes only those that are excluded. 18. Falsus In Uno, Falsus In Omnibus False in one, false in all. 19. Ignorantia Facti Excusat Ignorance of fact excuses 20. Ignorantia Legis Neminem Excusat Ignorance of the law excuses no one from compliance therewith. 21. In Pari Delicto In equal fault 22. Inclusio Unius Est Exclusio Alterius The express mention of the things included excludes those not included. 23. Inter Alia Among other things. 24. Inter Vivos During the lifetime. 25. Jus Disponendi Right to dispose, transfer or destroy 26. Jus Fruendi Right to the fruits 27. Jus Utendi Right to use 28. Jus Vendicandi Right to recover or vindicate. 29. Mens Sana In Corpore Sano A sound mind in a sound body

30. Mora Accipiendi Delay of the oblige or creditor to accept the delivery of the thing which is the object of the obligation 31. Mora Solvendi The delay of the obligor or the debtor to perform his obligation. 32. Mortis Causa By reason of death. 33. Noscitur A Sociis The meaning should be derived from accompanying words. 34. Nullum Crimen, Nulla Poena Sine Lege There is no crime if there is no law punishing it. 35. Pacta Sunt Servanda Stipulations of the parties must be complied with religiously and in good faith. 36. Par In Parem Imperium Non Habet An equal has no power over an equal. 37. Res Ipsa Loquitor The thing speaks for itself 38. Res Judicata A thing or matter settled by judgment, hence, cannot be retrieved or reopened, as a matter of a rule. 39. Res Nullius A property without an owner. 40. Res Periit Domino The thing perishes with its owner. It means that the owner of a thing must be the one to suffer its loss or damage and not someone else. 41. Salus Populi Est Suprema Lex The welfare of the people is the supreme law. 42. Sic utere tuo ut alienum non laedas Use your own property in such a manner as not to injure the rights of another. 43. Stare Decisis It is a policy of courts to stand by precedent and not to disturb settled points. It is a Doctrine that, when a court has once laid down a principle of law as applicable to a certain facts, it will adhere to that principle, and apply it to all future cases, where facts are substantially the same. 44. Ubi lex non distinguit, nec nos distinguere debemus When the law does not distinguish, we must not distinguish. 45. Void Ab Initio Void from the beginning.