AB INITIO: CAVEAT EMPTOR

Ignorance of law is no excuse.

It is a Latin maxim, which means ignorance of fact can be excused but the ignorance of law cannot be excused. Every person should know the laws of the country where he lives. He cannot plead ignorance of it. Even the foreigner has to abide with the laws of the land as long as he happens to be in that country. This maxim is often used in Criminal Law.

The scene of the event

Locus in quo is a Latin maxim, which means “the scene of the event” or “the place in which”. In general sense it means the place where the cause of action arose, i.e. the place where something is alleged to have occurred.

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.