A COLLECTION
OF
LATIN MAXIMS
AND PHRASES
=Literally Translated.=
INTENDED FOR THE USE OF STUDENTS FOR ALL LEGAL EXAMINATIONS.
BY
JOHN N. COTTERELL,
SOLICITOR AND NOTARY PUBLIC.
“Scire leges: non est verba earum tenere, sed vim ac mentem.”
“Maxima ita dicto quia maxima est ejus dignitas, et certissima
auctoritas, atque quod maximè omnibus probetur.”—_Co. Litt._, 1 Inst.
xi.
_THIRD EDITION._
LONDON:
STEVENS AND HAYNES,
=Law Publishers,=
BELL YARD, TEMPLE BAR.
1913.
PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION.
The Author, from the commencement of his study of the law, and more
especially during his course of reading for the intermediate and final
examinations, became convinced of the very great advantage to be reaped
from a knowledge of the leading Latin Maxims, now so frequently quoted
in all legal works; those given hereafter will be found to comprise all
that occur in the recognised examination text-books, having been
collected from such works.
It will be remembered that a maxim is a general principle and
universally approved leading truth; therefore, even the most elementary
student cannot do better than store away in his memory some of the more
important of these rules as a foundation for future study. At every law
examination questions are to be found that bear directly on some one or
other of the principles contained in these maxims, and they are often
quoted, the student being required to translate and explain their
meaning and application—they are, in fact, equally important with
Leading Cases.
Those maxims only have been selected which are constantly met with by
the student, and which he would do well to commit to memory; leading
cases are also referred to. The explanations have been made as brief as
possible, and for deeper research the student is referred to Broom’s
Legal Maxims.