COLLEGE OF LAW

1. LEX TUTISSIMA CASSIS SUB CLYPEO LEGIS NEMO DECIPITUR

Latin, meaning Law is the safest helmet; under the shield of the law no one is deceived.
2. consensus facit legem -Consent makes the law
Imperator erat ex officio quoque dux exercitus.
The emperor was by virtue of his position also the leader of the army

corruptissima re publica plurimae leges

In the most corrupt state are the most laws (Terence)
cursus curiae est lex curiae
The practice of the court is the law of the court
de minimis non curat lex
The law does not concern itself with trifles
durum hoc est sed ita lex scripta est
This is harsh but the law is written
dura lex sed lex
The law is hard, but it is the law
contra ius commune
Against common law
contra ius gentium
Against the law of nations
custodia legis
In the custody of law
concordia discors
Harmony in discord (Horace)
adversus solem ne loquitor
Don't speak against the sun (i.e., don't argue an obvious fact)

disputandi pruritus ecclesiarum scabies

An itch for disputation is the incurable disease of the church
ad verecundiam
Appeal to modesty in an argument
componere lites
To settle disputes (Horace)

absens haeres non erit

The absent one will not be heir
abusus non tollit usum
Abuse of a right does not invalidate use
ab abusu ad usum non valet consequentia
Consequences of abuse do not aply to general use
curia advisari vult
The court wishes to be advised
lex non distinguitur nos non distinguere debemus
The law does not distinguish and so we ought not distinguish.
accipiunt leges, populus quibus legibus ex lex
They consent to laws which place people beyond the pale of the law
ex curia
Out of court
nolle prosequi
To be unwilling to prosecute

Word

Pronunciation

Original Meaning

Modern Meaning

affidavit

uhf-fee-day-wit

he pledged

a sworn, written statement

bona fide

boh-nuh fee-

(in) good faith

sincere, genuine

day
habeas
corpus

ha-bay-us korpus

may you have the

body

bring a person before a court

per diem

pur dee-em

per day, by the day

daily

pro bono

pro bo-no

for the good

done for free for the public good

status
quo

stuh-toos kwo

the existing
condition or state of
affairs

how things are currently

sub
poena

soob poi-na

under the penalty

an order commanding a person to

appear in court under a penalty for not
appearing

Word

Pronunciation

Original
Meaning

Modern Meaning

ad hoc

ad hok

to this

for a specific purpose, case, or situation

corpus
delicti

kor-pus de-licktee

body of the
crime

material evidence in a crime

de facto

day fak-toe

from the fact

in reality; actually; in effect

de iure

day you-ray

from the law

according to law; by right

ad infinitum

ad in-fee-neetoom

forever

forever

in absentia

in ab-sen-tee-ah

in (his/her)

in (his/her) absence

absence
in camera

in ka-me-rah

in a room

in private; no spectators allowed

in loco
parentis

in lo-ko pa-rentis

in the place of
a parent

in the place of a parent

ipso facto

eep-so fak-toe

by the fact
itself

by that very fact

locus delicti

low-koos daylick-tee

scene of the
crime

scene where a crime took place

modus
operandi

moh-dus o-perun-dee

mode of
working

method of operating

nolo
contendere

no-lo kon-tende-re

I do not wish to
contend

a plea by the defendant that's

equivalent to an admission of guilt (and
leaves him subject to punishment) but
allows him the legal option to deny the
charges later

prima facie

pree-mah fahkey-ay

at first face

at first sight

pro forma

pro for-ma

for the sake of

form

done as formality, done for the show

quid pro
quo

kwid pro kwo

this for that

something for something; tit for tat; an

equal exchange

Word

Pronunciation

Original
Meaning

Modern Meaning

a mensa et
toro

ah men-sa eht
to-row

from table and

bed

legal separation

casus belli

ka-soos bel-lee

occasion of
war

an event that justifies a war

cui bono

coo-ee bo-no

for whom the

good

whom does it benefit?

(in)
flagrante
delicto

in fla-gran-tay
day-lick-toe

while the crime

is burning

red-handed, in the act

inter alia

in-ter ah-lee-ah

among other
things

among other things

mutatis
mutandis

moo-tah-tees
moo-tun-dees

having
changed what
must be
changed

after making the necessary changes

non compos
mentis

non komposmen-tis

not of sound
mind

mentally incompetent

obiter
dictum

oh-bee-terdeektoom

something said
in passing

something a judge says in arguing a

point, but has no bearing on the final
decision

onus
probandi

oh-nis pro-bundee

burden of
proving

burden of proof

pendente
lite

pen-den-tayleetay

while judgment
is pending

a case in progress

res ipsa
loquitur

rays eep-sa lokwee-tur

the matter
itself speaks

it goes without saying

sine qua
non

see-nay kwa
non

without which
not

an indispensable condition; a
prerequisite

sine die

see-nay dee-ay

without a day

postponed indefinitely

sub judice

sub you-dee-kay

under the
judge

pending judgment

ultra vires

ool-trah weerays

beyond
strength

outside one's jurisdiction