Donica P.

Hermosilla LLB-1 Statutory Construction

LEGAL MAXIMS

No. LEGAL MAXIM TRASLATION

1 Contemporea exposito est optima et fotissima in The contemporary construction is the strongest law.
lege
2 Ex dolo mato non oritur action No man can be allowed to found a claim upon his own wrong
doing.
3 Favores ampliandi sunt, odia restringenda Penal laws which are favorable to the accused are given
retroactive effect.
4 Generia verba sunt generaliter intelligenda What is generally spoken shall be generally understood.
5 In eo quod plus sit, simper inest et minus The greater includes the lesser.
6 Interest reipublicae ut sit finis litum Public interest requires that by the very nature of things there
must be an end to a legal controversy.
7 Interporare et concordare legibus est optimus Every statute must be so construed and harmonized with
interpotandi modus another statutes as t form uniform system of laws
8 Interpretatio talis in ambiguis simper fienda est Where there is ambiguity, such interpretation as will avoid
ut critetur inconvenies et absurdum inconvenience and absurdity is to be adopted
9 Legis interpretation legis vim obtinent The authoritative interpretation of the court of a statute
acquires the forces of law becoming a part thereof.
10 Lex de futuro, judex de praterito The law provides for the future, judge for the past.
11 Noscitur a sociis The word construed with reference to accompanying or
associated words.
12 Optimus interpres rerum usus The best interpreter of the law is usage.
13 Potior est in tempore potior est in jure He who is first in time is preferred right.
14 Rotihabo mandato aquiparatur Legislative ratification is equivalent to a mandate.
15 Reddendo singula singulis Referring each to each; referring each phrase or expression to
its appropriate object; or let each be put in its proper place.
16 Salus populi est suprema lex The voice of the people in the supreme law.
17 Stare decisis et non quieta movers Follow past precedence and do not disturb what has been
settled.
18 Ut res magis valeat quam pereat That construction is to be sought which gives effect to the
whole of the statuteits every words.
19 Verba intentioni, non e contra, debent inservire Words ought to be more subservient to the intent and not to
the words.
20 Inter alia Amongst other things.
21 Lis mota The cause of a suit or action.
22 Que cada palo aguan te suvela Each mask should bear its sail.
23 Sine qua non Non indispensable.
24 Index ex alterius incommode debet lecupletari No man ough to be made reich out of anothers injury.
25 Jus soli Citizenship by place of birth.
26 Obiter dictum Said in passing.
27 Fiat justicia, nuat coelum Let the right be done, though the heavens fall.
28 Verba Legis Plain meaning rule
29 Index animi sermo Speech is the index of intention
30 Maledicta est expositio quae corrumpit It is dangerous construction which is against the text
textum
31 Dura lex sed lex The law may be harsh, but it is still the law
32 Absoluta sentential expositore non indi When the language of the law is clear, no explanation of it is
required.
33 Hoc quidem perquam durum est, sed ita lex It is exceedingly hard but so the law is written
scripta est
34 Interpretation fienda est ut res magis valeat That interpretation as will give the thing efficacy is to be
quam pereat adopted, as well as the rule that provisions on initiative should
be liberally construed to effectuate their purposes, to facilitate
and not to hamper the exercise by voters of the rights granted
thereby.
35 Ratio legis Interpretation according to the spirit or reason of the law

36 Verba intentioni, non e contra, debent Words ought to be more subservient to the intent and not the
inservire intent to the words.
37 Cessante ratione legis, cessat et ipsa lex When the reason of the law ceases, the law itself ceases.
38 Ratio legis est anima The reason of the law is its soul.
39 Surplusagium no noceat Surplusage does not vitiate a statute.
40 Utile per inutile non vitiatur Useful vitiated by the non-useful.
41 Falsa demonstration non nocet, cum de corpore False description preclude construction nor vitiate the
constrat meaning of the statute which is otherwise clear.
42 Impossibilium nulla obligatio In other words, there is no obligation to do an impossible
thing.
43 Ex necessitate legis From the necessity of the law
44 Nullus commodum capere potest de injuria sua No man should be allowed to take advantage of his own
propria wrong.
45 Quando aliquid prohibetur ex directo, prohibetur What cannot, by law, be done directly cannot be done
et per obliquum indirectly.
46 Ubi lex non distinguit nec nos distinguere Where the law does not distinguish, we ought not to
debemus distinguish.
47 Generalia verba sunt generaliter intelligenda What is generally spoken shall be generally understood or
general words should be understood in a general sense.
48 Generale dictum generaliter est interpretandum A general statement is understood in a general sense.
49 Verba accipienda sunt secundum materiam A word is to be understood in the context in which
50 Ejusdem generis The same kind or specie
51 Expressio unius est exclusio alterius The expression of one thing is the exclusion of another.
52 Expressum facit cessare tacitum What is expressed puts an end to that which is implied.
53 Exceptio firmat regulam in casibus non A maxim of recognized utility is the rule that the express
exceptis exception, exemption or saving excludes others
54 Argumentum a contrario What is expressed puts an end to that which is implied or
negative-opposite doctrine
55 Casus omissus pro omisso habendus est A person, object or thing omitted from an enumeration must
be held to have been omitted intentionally.
56 Ad proximum antecedens fiat relatio nisi Relative words refer to the nearest antecedents, unless the
impediatur sententia context otherwise requires.
57 Optima statuti interpretatrix est ipsum statutum The best interpreter of a statute is the statute itself
58 Interpretatio fienda est ut res magis valeat quam A law should be interpreted with a view to upholding rather
pereat than destroying it.
59 Interpretare et concordare leges legibus est Every statute must be so construed and harmonized with
optimus interpretandi modus other statutes as to form a uniform system of jurisprudence.
60 Distingue tempora et concordabis jura Distinguish times and you will harmonize laws
61 Actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea The act itself does not make a man guilty unless his intention
were so.
62 Actus me invito factus non est meus actus An act done by me against my will is not my act
63 Privilegia recipiunt largam Privileges are to be interpreted in accordance with the will of
interpretationem voluntati consonam concedentis him who grants them.
64 Nullum tempus occurrit regi No time runs against the king- it means that the crown can
proceed with actions that would be barred if brought by an
individual due to the passage of time.
65 Pari materia Upon the same matter or subject.
66 Nova constitutio futuris forman imponere debet A new statute should affect the future, not the past
non praeteritis.
67 Nullum crimen sine poena, nulla poena sine legi There is no crime without a penalty, and there is no penalty
with-out a law.
68 Leges posteriors priores contraria ab Later statute repeals prior ones which are repugnant thereto
69 Generalia specialibus non derogant A general law does not nullify a specific or special law
70 Ubi jus ibi remidium Where there is right, there is remedy.