AB INITIO: BONI JUDICESEST EST AMPLIARE JURISDICTIONEM

Law does not compel the doing of impossibilities.

This legal maxim is of the latin origin meaning the law does not compel you to do anything vain or impossible. It is a very old maxim that was discussed by Justice Owen in Hughey v. JMS Development, meaning laws do not compel a man to do something he cannot possibly perform. Here, the word “lex” literally means a system of law, “non” means does not, “cogit” means to compel, “ad” means to, and “impossibilia” means impossible.

A delegate cannot further delegate.

This Latin maxim means that a person to whom a power is delegated cannot further delegate that power. That person cannot sub-delegate that power to someone else. No sub-delegation can be done in a contract of principle-agent without the knowledge and consent of the principle. This principle is often used in administrative or constitutional law.

Exception that proves the rule.

- It is also used to give grounds for something that seems to contradict a rule. - In other words, this maxim states an exception to the regular or general rule which is to be followed. Exception alone is not taken unto the consideration; it is always an assumption that there exists a general rule. - It means that if there is an exception that can be applied to a specific case, it proves that a general rule exists.