Legal Maxims for CLAT 2024

Legal Maxims hold significant importance within the legal aptitude section of the CLAT exam. This segment aims to assess candidates’ comprehension of legal concepts. The upcoming CLAT 2024 will feature questions related to Legal Maxims, falling under the domain of legal knowledge. An estimated 4 to 5 questions are anticipated from this category.

For aspirants gearing up for the forthcoming exam, a thorough grasp of Vital Legal Maxims for CLAT 2024 is imperative. Within this article, experts from IAS NEXT elucidate Legal Maxims for CLAT, encompassing their definitions, crucial aspects, question patterns, and effective answering strategies.

What are Legal Maxims for CLAT?

CLAT Legal Maxims is a well-established idea related to legal approach, proposal, doctrine, etc. Legal Maxims for CLAT are usually expressed in Latin, as most of these terms originated from the Medieval period in the European states and employed Latin as the official language. However, the principles of Legal Maxims for CLAT 2024 guide the courts and the country’s law fairly so that the courts can decide the legal issues perfectly and unbiasedly. Also, Check CLAT Exam.

Such principles of CLAT Legal Maxims do not have legal authority but when the courts apply it in deciding issues of the legislature, including such maxims while framing laws, they take the form of law and form the basis of sound judgments. Read this article below to get a detailed analysis of the Legal Maxims for CLAT 2024 questions so that you can prepare for these questions in a better way.

Important Legal Maxims

Below we have provided a list of the top 50 Important Legal Maxims for CLAT. Follow expert-recommended tips to crack CLAT Legal Reasoning to get a high score.

Ab Initio – From the onset.
Actionable per se – The act is punishable, and no evidence of damage is needed.
Actio personalis moritur cum persona – A confidential right of action passes with the person. In another sense, the right to sue is gone if he perishes.
Actori incumbit onus probandi – The hurdle of proof is on the complainant.
Actus Reus Non Facit Reum Nisi Mens Sit Rea – Confidence of a crime demands proof of the criminal act and purpose.
Ad hoc – For the special end or case at hand.
Alibi – At other places, elsewhere.
Amicus Curiae – A court companion or partner of the Bar assigned to assist the Court.
Ante Litem Motam – Before a claim is brought, before an argument is initiated, or spoken before a lawsuit is brought.
Assentio mentium – Mutual assents.
Audi alteram partem – No man shall be charged unheard.
Bona fide – In good trust.
Bona vacantia – Goods without an owner.
Boni judicis est ampliare jurisdictionem – Remedial authority.
Caveat – A caution recorded with the public court to demonstrate to the administrators that they are not to act in the matter cited in the caveat without first giving notice to the caveator.
Caveat actor – Let the doer beware.
Caveat emptor – Let the buyer beware.
Caveat venditor – Let the seller beware.
Certiorari – A writ by which orders handed by an imperfect court are subdued.
Corpus – Body.
Corpus delicti – The facts and possibilities comprise a crime and concrete evidence of a crime, such as a corpse (dead body). Also, it directs to the principle that a crime must be proved to have occurred before a person can be condemned of committing that crime.'(This definition is mostly used in Western Law.)
Damnum sine injuria – Deterioration without injury.
De facto – In fact.
De jure – By law.
De minimis – About minimal things.
De Minimis Non Curat Lex – The law does not govern trifles (unimportant things), or the law ignores insignificant details. Or, A common law principle whereby judges will not sit in judgment of extremely minor violations (offence, wrongdoings) of the law.
De novo – To make something anew.
Dictum – Statement of law made by justice in the course of the judgment but not essential to the decision itself.
Doli incapax – Incapable of crime.
Detinue – Tort of wrongfully holding goods that belong to someone else.
Donatio mortis causa – Gift because of death. Or a future gift was given in expectation of the donor’s looming death and only delivered upon the donor’s death.
Estoppel – Prevented from declining.
Ex gratia – As favour.
Ex officio – Because of an office held.
Ex parte – Proceedings in the absence of the other party.
Ex post facto – Out of the aftermath or after the fact.
Fatum – Beyond human foresight.
Factum probans – Relevant fact.
Fraus est celare fraudem – It is a fraud to conceal a fraud.
Functus officio – No longer having power or jurisdiction.
Furiosi nulla voluntas est – Mentally damaged or mentally incapable persons cannot validly sign a will or agreement or form the frame of mind required to achieve a crime. or a person with mental debility has no free will.
Habeas corpus – A writ to have a person’s body to be obtained before the judge.
Ignorantia juris non-excusat – unfamiliarity of the law excuses not or Ignorance of the law justifies no one.
Injuria sine damno – Injury without impairment.
Ipso facto – By the vigilance fact.
In promptu – In enthusiasm.
In lieu of – Instead of.
In personam – A proceeding in which relief I aimed against a distinct person.
Innuendo – Spoken words that are slanderous because they have a dual meaning.
In status quo – In the current state.