Tag – 200 Important Legal Maxims for CLAT EXAM

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For every law aspirant preparing for CLAT (Common Law Admission Test), Legal Maxims play a crucial role in cracking the Legal Aptitude, Legal Reasoning, and General Knowledge sections. These Latin-origin terms are used extensively in law papers, court judgments, contracts, constitutional interpretation, and legal principles.

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This article compiles 200 important legal maxims for CLAT exam preparation, along with their meanings and explanations. Learning these maxims will help aspirants enhance their legal vocabulary, case law understanding, and accuracy in solving CLAT legal reasoning questions.

Why are Legal Maxims Important for CLAT Exam?

1. Frequent in CLAT and Law Entrance Exams – Maxims often appear directly in questions or as part of legal principles.
2. Enhances Legal Vocabulary – Helps in interpreting legal concepts better.
3. Useful in Law School and Beyond – These maxims are cited in judgments, contracts, and legal arguments.
4. High-scoring Area – A clear grasp of maxims ensures you don’t waste time on tricky questions.

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200 Legal Maxims for CLAT Exam

A. General Legal Principles

1. Actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea – An act does not make a person guilty unless there is criminal intent.
2. Audi alteram partem – Hear the other side; no person should be condemned unheard.
3. Nemo debet esse judex in propria causa – No one should be a judge in his own cause.
4. Res ipsa loquitur – The thing speaks for itself (applies in tort law, negligence).
5. Ignorantia juris non excusat – Ignorance of law is not an excuse.
6. Ignorantia facti excusat – Ignorance of fact is an excuse.
7. Ubi jus ibi remedium – Where there is a right, there is a remedy.
8. Fiat justitia ruat caelum – Let justice be done though the heavens fall.
9. Injuria sine damno – Legal injury without actual damage (Ashby v. White).
10. Damnum sine injuria – Actual damage without legal injury.

B. Criminal Law Maxims

11. Mens rea – Guilty mind.
12. Actus reus – Guilty act.
13. Culpable homicide – Killing with wrongful intention.
14. Corpus delicti – Body of the crime; essential facts proving a crime.
15. Nemo tenetur seipsum accusare – No one is bound to incriminate himself.
16. Malus animus – Evil intention.
17. Nemo bis punitur pro eodem delicto – No one should be punished twice for the same offence (Double jeopardy).
18. Falsus in uno falsus in omnibus – False in one thing, false in everything.
19. Volenti non fit injuria – To a willing person, no injury is done.
20. Doli incapax – Incapable of crime (applies to children below 7 years).

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C. Constitutional & Administrative Law Maxims

21. Salus populi suprema lex – The welfare of the people is the supreme law.
22. Lex posterior derogat priori – Later law repeals earlier law.
23. Lex specialis derogat legi generali – Special law prevails over general law.
24. Delegatus non potest delegare – A delegate cannot further delegate.
25. Ex turpi causa non oritur actio – No action arises from an immoral cause.
26. Quid pro quo – Something for something.
27. Status quo – Existing state of affairs.
28. Stare decisis – To stand by things decided; binding precedent.
29. Obiter dicta – Things said in passing by a judge (not binding).
30. Ratio decidendi – The reasoning behind a decision (binding principle).

D. Contract Law Maxims

31. Consensus ad idem – Meeting of the minds.
32. Pacta sunt servanda – Agreements must be kept.
33. Caveat emptor – Let the buyer beware.
34. Caveat venditor – Let the seller beware.
35. In pari delicto potior est conditio defendentis – Where both parties are equally at fault, the position of the defendant is stronger.
36. Ex turpi contractu actio non oritur – No action arises from an immoral contract.
37. Novation – Substitution of a new contract in place of an old one.
38. Quasi contractus – Contract implied by law.
39. Consensus facit legem – Consent makes the law.
40. Non est factum – Not my deed (a plea that a contract is void).

E. Property & Transfer of Property Law Maxims

41. Nemo dat quod non habet – No one can give what he does not have.
42. Possessio est quasi titulus – Possession is like a title.
43. Cuius est solum eius est usque ad coelum et ad inferos – Whoever owns the soil, owns up to the sky and down to the depths.
44. Bona fide – In good faith.
45. Lis pendens – Pending litigation.
46. Res nullius – Things belonging to no one (can be claimed).
47. Res derelicta – Abandoned property.
48. In rem – Right enforceable against the world.
49. In personam – Right enforceable against a person.
50. Animus possidendi – Intention to possess.

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F. Tort Law Maxims

51. Sic utere tuo ut alienum non laedas – Use your property in such a way as not to harm others.
52. Qui facit per alium facit per se – He who acts through another is deemed to act himself.
53. Injuria non excusat injuriam – One wrong does not justify another.
54. Respondeat superior – Let the master answer (Vicarious liability).
55. In delicto proximum regit – In torts, the nearest cause governs.
56. Nemo est haeres viventis – No one is heir of a living person.
57. Injuria sine damno – Violation of a right without damage.
58. Damnum sine injuria – Damage without violation of a right.
59. Novus actus interveniens – A new intervening act (breaking chain of causation).
60. Ubi remedium ibi jus – Where there is a remedy, there is a right.

G. Evidence Law Maxims

61. Ei incumbit probatio qui dicit non qui negat – The burden of proof lies on the one who asserts, not on the one who denies.
62. Falsus in uno falsus in omnibus – False in one thing, false in everything.
63. Affirmanti non neganti incumbit probatio – The burden of proof lies upon him who affirms, not upon him who denies.
64. De minimis non curat lex – The law does not concern itself with trifles.
65. Alibi – Elsewhere (a defence in criminal law).
66. Prima facie – At first sight; based on first impression.
67. Factum probans – Fact providing evidence.
68. Factum probandum – Fact that must be proved.
69. Nemo moriturus praesumitur mentiri – A man will not meet his maker with a lie in his mouth (dying declaration).
70. Res gestae – Things done (facts forming part of the same transaction).

H. Company & Commercial Law Maxims

71. Ultra vires – Beyond powers.
72. Intra vires – Within powers.
73. Lex loci contractus – Law of the place where the contract is made.
74. Ex gratia – As a favor, not legally binding.
75. Force majeure – Superior force (unforeseeable event preventing contract performance).
76. Mutatis mutandis – With necessary changes having been made.
77. De facto – In fact.
78. De jure – By law.
79. Amicus curiae – Friend of the court.
80. Sub judice – Under judicial consideration.

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I. Miscellaneous Important Maxims

81. Habeas corpus – Produce the body (writ to release unlawful detention).
82. Mandamus – We command (writ to compel performance of duty).
83. Certiorari – To be certified (writ to transfer case to higher court).
84. Quo warranto – By what authority (writ against illegal occupation of office).
85. Ex parte – Proceedings done without the other party.
86. Sine die – Without assigning a day.
87. Inter alia – Among other things.
88. Per incuriam – Through lack of care (judgment passed in ignorance of law).
89. Jus cogens – Compelling law (fundamental principle of international law).
90. Animus contrahendi – Intention to contract.

J. Extension List (91–200)

Below are additional 110 legal maxims, listed concisely for exam revision.

91. Ab initio – From the beginning.
92. Actio personalis moritur cum persona – Personal action dies with the person.
93. Actio publica – Public action.
94. Actionable per se – Actionable in itself.
95. Bona fide purchaser – Honest buyer without fraud.
96. Caveat actor – Let the doer beware.
97. Caveat lector – Let the reader beware.
98. Certum est quod certum reddi potest – That is certain which can be made certain.
99. Condicio sine qua non – Essential condition.
100. Consensus facit nuptias – Consent makes marriage.
101. Contra bonos mores – Against good morals.
102. Contra legem – Against the law.
103. Corpus juris – Body of law.
104. Cui bono – Who benefits?
105. Cuius est solum eius est usque ad coelum – Ownership extends up to the sky.
106. De die in diem – From day to day.
107. De facto trustee – Trustee in fact, not in law.
108. De jure trustee – Trustee in law.
109. De minimis – About trivial matters.
110. Dictum – Statement in judgment.
111. Dura lex sed lex – The law is harsh, but it is the law.
112. Estoppel – Prevented from denying.
113. Ex aequo et bono – According to equity and good conscience.
114. Ex officio – By virtue of office.
115. Ex parte decree – Decree passed in absence of one party.
116. Ex post facto law – Law made after the act.
117. Expressio unius est exclusio alterius – Express mention excludes others.
118. Fait accompli – Accomplished fact.
119. Factum valet – What is done is valid.
120. Functus officio – No longer having authority.
121. Habeas data – Right to personal information.
122. Ibi jus ubi remedium – Where there is a right, there is a remedy.
123. Id certum est quod certum reddi potest – That is certain which can be made certain.
124. In dubio pro reo – Benefit of doubt goes to accused.
125. In loco parentis – In the place of a parent.
126. In omnibus – In all things.
127. In pari materia – On the same subject.
128. In personam – Against a person.
129. In rem suam – To his own use.
130. In situ – In its place.
131. Inter vivos – Between the living.
132. Ipso facto – By the very fact.
133. Jus naturale – Natural law.
134. Jus soli – Right of the soil (citizenship by birth).
135. Jus sanguinis – Right of blood (citizenship by descent).
136. Laissez-faire – Leave alone.
137. Locus standi – Right to bring an action.
138. Mala fide – In bad faith.
139. Mandamus nisi – Conditional writ of mandamus.
140. Modus operandi – Method of operation.
141. Mutuum – Loan for consumption.
142. Nemo est supra leges – No one is above the law.
143. Nemo tenetur prodere seipsum – No man is bound to betray himself.
144. Non obstante – Notwithstanding.
145. Non sui juris – Not of his own right.
146. Non sequitur – It does not follow.
147. Nota bene – Mark well.
148. Novation – Substitution of contract.
149. Nulla poena sine lege – No penalty without law.
150. Nullius filius – Child of no one (illegitimate).
151. Nudum pactum – Bare agreement.
152. Obiter dictum – Remark by the way.
153. Pacta illegal – Illegal agreements.
154. Pari passu – With equal step.
155. Per annum – By the year.
156. Per capita – Per head.
157. Per se – By itself.
158. Persona non grata – Unwelcome person.
159. Post mortem – After death.
160. Prima facie evidence – Sufficient at first sight.
161. Pro rata – Proportionately.
162. Pro bono – For public good.
163. Quantum meruit – As much as earned.
164. Quasi – As if.
165. Qui prior est tempore potior est jure – First in time, stronger in law.
166. Quid pro quo – Something for something.
167. Ratio legis – Reason of the law.
168. Res judicata – A matter already judged.
169. Res nullius – Nobody’s property.
170. Res publica – Public affair.
171. Rex non potest peccare – The King can do no wrong.
172. Salus rei publicae suprema lex – Public welfare is supreme law.
173. Sanctio – Penalty attached to law.
174. Scienter – Knowingly.
175. Sine qua non – Essential condition.
176. Situs – Location.
177. Status quo ante – State of affairs before.
178. Sub silentio – In silence.
179. Sui generis – Of its own kind.
180. Supra – Above.
181. Supra vires – Beyond powers.
182. Suo moto – On its own motion.
183. Testator – Person making a will.
184. Ultra vires – Beyond authority.
185. Usufruct – Right to enjoy property of another.
186. Vacatio legis – Suspension of a law after its passing.
187. Veto – To forbid.
188. Vide – See (reference).
189. Vinculum juris – Legal bond.
190. Vis-à-vis – In relation to.
191. Volenti non fit injuria – Consent bars claims.
192. Vox populi – Voice of the people.
193. Actio directa – Direct action.
194. Ad infinitum – To infinity.
195. Ad hoc – For this particular purpose.
196. Ad interim – In the meantime.
197. Ad litem – For the suit.
198. Ad valorem – According to value.
199. Animus possidendi – Intention to possess.
200. Alter ego – Another self.

Final Words

Learning legal maxims for CLAT exam is crucial for any law aspirant. Out of these 200 maxims, nearly 30–40 are repeatedly asked in CLAT, AILET, and other law entrance exams. Students should revise them regularly, use flashcards, and practice through mock tests to retain them better.

A strong grip on these maxims will not only help in CLAT Legal Reasoning but also during law school studies, case law understanding, and legal writing.

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