Verba legis Plain-meaning rule

Index animi sermo Speech is the index of the intention

Verba legis non est recedendum From the words of a statute there should be no
departure
Dura lex sed lex The law may be harsh but it is still the law
Absoluta sentential expositore quae non When the language of the law is clear, no
indigent explanation of it is required
Hoc quidem perquam durum est, sed ital ex It is exceedingly hard but so the law is written
scripta est
Aequitas nunquam contravenit legis Equity never acts in contravention of the law
Interpretation fienda est ut res magis valeat That interpretation as will give the thing efficacy
quam pereat is to be adopted
Ratio legis Interpretation according to the spirit or reason of
the law
Ratio legis est anima Reason of the law is its soul
Verba intentioni, non e contra, debent Words ought to be more subservient to the intent
inservire and not the intent to the words
Cessante ratione legis, cessat et ipsa lex When the reason of the law ceases, the law itself
ceases
Interpretation talis in ambiguis simper fienda Where there is ambiguity, such interpretation as
est ut evitetur inconveniens et absurdum will avoid inconvenience and absurdity is to be
adopted
Ea est accipienda interpretation quae vitio That interpretation is to be adopted which is free
caret from evil or injustice
Fiat justicia, ruat coelum Let the right be done, though the heavens fall
Surplusagium non noceat Surplusage does not vitiate a statute
Utile per inutile non vitiatur Nor is the useful vitiated by the non-useful
Falsa demonstration non nocet, cum de False description does not preclude construction
corpore constat nor vitiate the meaning of the statute which is
otherwise clear
Ibi quid generaliter conceditur Every rule is not without an exception
Inest haec exception, si non aliquid sit contras Where anything is granted generally, this
jus basque exception is implied
Summum jus, summa injuria The rigor of the law would become the
highest injustice
Nemo tenetur ad impossible Law obliges no one to perform an impossibility
Impossibilium nulla obligation est No obligation to do an impossible thing
Ex necessitate legis From the necessity of the law
In eo quod plus sit, simper inest et minus Greater includes the lesser
Ubi jus, ibi remedium Where there is a right, there is a remedy for
violation thereof
In pari delicto potior est conditio defendentis Where a statute prohibits the doing of an act, the
act done in violation thereof is by implication
null and void
Ex dolo malo non oritur actio no man can be allowed to found a claim upon his
own wrongdoing or inequity
Nullus coomodum capere potest de injuria sua No man should be allowed to take advantage of
propria his own wrong
Quando aliquid prohibetur ex directo, What cannot, by law, be done directly cannot be
prohibetur et per obliquum done indirectly
Generalia verba sunt generaliter intelligenda What is generally spoken shall be generally
understood; general words shall be understood in
a general sense
Generale dictum generaliter est General statement is understood in a general
interpretandum sense
Verba accipienda sunt secundum materiam A word is to be understood in the context in
which it is used.
Ubi lex non distinguit, nec nos distinguere Where the law does not distinguish, courts
debemus should not distinguish.
Noscitur a sociis Where a particular word or phrase is ambiguous
in itself or equally susceptible of various
meanings, its correct construction may be made
clear and specific by considering the company of
words in which it is found or with which it is
associated
Ejusdem generis (or the same kind or species) Where a general word or phrase follows an
enumeration of particular and specific words of
the same class or where the latter follow the
former, the general word or phrase is to be
construed to include, or to be restricted to,
persons, things or cases akin to, resembling, or of
the same kind or class as those specifically
mentioned
Expressio unius est exclusion alterius The express mention of one person, thing or
consequence implies the exclusion of all others.
Expressum facit cessare tacitum What is expressed puts an end to that which is
implied where a statute, by its terms, is expressly
limited to certain matters, it may not, by
interpretation or construction, be extended to
other matters.
Exceptio firmat regulam in casibus non A thing not being excepted must be regarded as
exceptis coming within the purview of the general rule
Expressio unius est exclusion alterius The expression of one or more things of a class
implies the exclusion of all not expressed, even
though all would have been implied had none
been expressed; opposite the doctrine of
necessary implication
Argumentum a contrario What is expressed puts an end to what is implied
Casus omissus A person, object or thing omitted from an
enumeration must be held to have been omitted
intentionally.
Ad proximum antecedens fiat relatio nisi Relative words refer to the nearest antecedents,
impediatur sententia unless the context otherwise requires