Peter Halkerston

“ Equity is not bound to assist unless when the occasion renders it necessary.
Æquitas non vaga atque incerta est, sed terminos habet atque limites præfinitas.
Equity is not vague and uncertain, but has determinate or prescribed boundaries and limits.
Æquitas non vult res novas atque inusitatas inducere.
Equity does not incline to introduce new and unusual things.
Æquitas nunquam contravenit legi.
Equity never contravenes the law.
Æquitas nunquam liti ancillatur ubi remedium potest dare.
Equity is never the handmaid to strife, where she can give a remedy. ”

“ Crimen omnia ex se nata vitiat.
A crime vitiates all things proceeding from it.
Crimina morte extinguuntur.
Crimes are extinguished by death.
Cruciatus legibus invisi.
Tortures are odious to the laws.
Cui licet quod majus, non debet quod minus est non licere.
To whom what is greater is allowed, what is less ought also to be allowed.
Cuique aliquis quid concedit, concedere videtur; et id, sine quo res ipsa esse non potuit.
What any one grants to one, he appears to grant; and that without which the thing itself could not be. ”

“ Ignorance of the law excuses no body, for all are presumed to know those things on which all agree.
Ignorantia non excusat legem.
Ignorance does not excuse the law.
Illud quod alias licitum non est, necessitas facit licitum; et necessitas inducit privilegium quod jure privatur.
That which is not lawful in another case, necessity makes lawful; and necessity induces a privilege which is taken away by the law. ”

“ Libertas est cum quisque quod velit faciat modo secundum leges, bonas, communi consensu latas, certas, præfinitas, apertas.
Liberty is when any one may do what he chooses, provided he acts according to good, certain, predetermined open laws, enacted by common consent.
Libertas est naturalis facultas ejus quod cuique facere libet, nisi quod de vi aut jure prohibetur.
Liberty is the natural power of a man to do what he pleases, unless what he may be prohibited to do, concerning violence, or encroaching upon another’s right.
Libertas inæstimabilis res est.
Liberty is an inestimable thing. ”

“ The divine punishment of perjury is destruction; the human punishment is disgrace.
Perjuri sunt qui servatis verbis juramenti decipiunt aures eorum qui accipiunt.
They are perjured who observing the words of an oath, deceive the ears of those who hear them.
Perpetua lex est nullam legem humanam ac positivam perpetuam esse; et clausula quæ abrogationem excludit, ab initio non valet.
It is a perpetual law, that there is no human and positive law perpetual ”

“ Qui sine dolo malo ad judicium provocat, non videtur moram facere.
He who provokes to trial without wicked fraud, does not seem to cause delay.
Qui sit jus, et in quo consistit injuria, legis est definare.
It belongs to the law to define what justice may be, and in what injustice consists.
Qui statuat aliquid parte inaudita altera æquum licet statuerit haud æquus olet.
He who determines any thing while one party is unheard, though he may determine what is just, will not savour of the just man. ”

“ Nemo potest mutare consilium suum in alterius injuriam.
Nobody can change his plan to the injury of another.
Nemo potest mutare consilium suum in præjudicium alterius.
Nobody can change his design to the prejudice of another.
Nemo potest nisi quod de jure potest.
No one can do any thing but what he can do by law.
Nemo potest plus juris ad alium transferre quam ipse habet.
Nobody can transfer more right to another than he has himself.
Nemo potest sibi mutare causam possessionis.
Nobody can change for himself the cause of his possession. ”

“ Rex ipse non debet esse sub homine, sed sub Deo et lege, quia lex facit regem: attribuat igitur rex, lege quod lex attribuit ei, viz. dominationem et imperium. Non est enim Rex ubi dominatur voluntas et non lex.
The king himself ought not to be under man, but under God and the law; because the law makes the king, therefore let the king give lawfully what the law hath given to him, viz. dominion and authority; for it is not the will of the king that rules, but the law.
Rex lege cadere non potest.
The king cannot fall in law. ”

“ Whoever has ordinary jurisdiction, is the ordinary of that place.
Quicunque jussu judicis aliquid fecerit, non videtur dolo malo fecisse, quia parere necesse est.
Whoever has done any thing by order of the judge, does not seem to have acted by guile, because it is necessary to obey.
Quilibet enim jure pro se introducto renunciare potest.
For any one can renounce by the law introduced for himself.
Quilibet ex virtute sua non imbecillitate adversarii debet vincere.
Any one ought to overcome by his own strength, and not by the weakness of his opponent. ”

“ Frustra legis auxilium implorat qui leges ipsas subvertere conatur.
He implores the assistance of the law in vain, who endeavours to subvert the laws themselves.
Frustra probatur quod probatum non relevat.
That thing is proved in vain, which, when proved, is not relevant.
Fundi non debent inalienabiles esse.
Farms ought not to be unalienable.
Furiosi, vel ejus cui bonis interdictum sit, nulla voluntas est.
The will of a madman, or of him who is interdicted from the administration of his goods, is nothing.
Furiosus solo furore punitur.
A madman is punished only by his own madness. ”

“ Metus quem agnoscunt leges in excusationem criminis, est talis qui cadere possit in constantem virum.
The fear which the law acknowledges in the excuse of a crime is such as can fall upon a steady man. ”

“ Commercium jure gentium commune esse debet, et non in monopolium et privatum paucorum quæstum convertendum.
Commerce by the law of nations ought to be common, and not to be converted into a monopoly, and the private gain of a few.
Commodum ex injuria sua nemo habere debet.
Nobody ought to derive advantage from his injurious behaviour.
Communis error facit jus.
A common error makes law necessary.
Communiter unum officium est excusatio alterius.
One duty commonly is the excuse for the non performance of another. ”

“ A good judge decides according to what is just and good; and prefers equity to strict law.
Bonum defendentis ex integra causa, malum ex quolibet defectu.
Good is the result of a person defending from an entire cause: evil results from one defending from any defect.
Bonum necessarium extra terminos necessitatis non est bonum.
A necessary good beyond the limits of necessity, is no good. ”

“ Juratores sunt judices facti.
Jurors are judges of the fact.
Juramentum est indivisibile, et non est admittendum in parte verum et in parte falsum.
An oath is indivisible, and is not to be admitted partly true and partly false.
Jure naturæ æquum est, neminem cum alterius detrimento et injuria fieri locupletiorem.
It is just by the law of nature, that no one become more rich by the detriment and injury of another. ”

“ Necessity will overcome the law,—baffles the restraints of law.
Nefarium per formulas legis laqueos innectere innocentibus.
It is infamous to lay snares for the innocent, by means of the forms of law.
Negatio destruit negationem.
Denial destroys denial.
Negatio non potest probari.
Denial cannot be proved.
Nemini in alium plus licet quam concessum est legibus.
More is allowed to no one against another, than what is granted by the laws.
Neminem oportet legibus esse sapientiorem.
It behoves no one to be wiser than the laws. ”

“ Agreements made contrary to the civil law, are not considered valid.
Contra legem facit, qui id facit, quod lex prohibet; in fraudem vero, qui salvis verbis legis, sententiam ejus circumvenit.
He acts against the law, who does that which the law prohibits; but he acts fraudulently, who, observing the words of the law, eludes its meaning.
Contra non valentem agere, non currit præscriptio.
Prescription does not run against one unable to act.
Contra veritatem lex nunquam aliquid permittit.
The law never allows any thing against truth. ”

“ Æquitas naturam rei non mutat.
Equity does not change the nature of a thing.
Æquitas neminem juvat cum injuria alterius.
Equity assists nobody to the injury of another.
Æquitas nil statuit nisi in partes.
Equity determines nothing unless towards the parties.
Æquitas nomine pœnæ constitutis remedium ex æquo et bono præstat.
Equity furnishes a remedy to matters which have been appointed under the name of a punishment, agreeable to what is just and good.
Æquitas non facit jus, sed juri auxiliatur.
Equity does not constitute law, but assists law. ”

“ Let a judge be free from hatred and love.
Odiosa et inhonesta non sunt in lege præsumenda; et in facto quod se habet ad bonum et malum, magis de bono quam de malo præsumendum est.
Odious and dishonourable things are not to be presumed in law; and in facts which relate to good and evil, it is more to be presumed concerning good, than concerning evil. ”

“ A new trial does not give a new law, but declares the ancient law; because a trial is the dictate of law, and by trial the law is revealed of new, which for a long time was veiled.
Novatio non præsumitur.
Innovation is not presumed.
Nothus nullius est filius.
A bastard is the son of nobody.
Nudum pactum est ubi nulla subest causa præter conventionem; sed ubi subest causa, fit obligatio, et parit actionem.
A mere naked bargain is, where no cause exists, except agreement; but where a cause exists, an obligation takes place, and is the foundation of an action. ”

“ In capitalibus minor est pœna cogitationis manifestæ quam conatus ex actu directo; et minor conatus quam patrati facinoris, ut sit pœnitentiæ locus. Sed in proditione in terrorem aliter statutum est.
In capital cases, the punishment of an evident intention is less, than an attempt by a direct act; and the punishment of the attempt is less, than that of the deed perpetrated, that there may be room for repentance: but in treason, it is determined otherwise, for terror.
In capitalibus quid, quomodo, quando, ubi, a quo factum, cum circumstantiis solemnibus, debent exponi. ”

“ Constructio ad principia refertur rei.
Construction is referred to the principles of a thing.
Constructio est secundum æquitatem.
Construction is according to equity.
Constructio legis non facit injuriam.
The construction of law does not occasion injury.
Constructio secundum æqualitatem rationis.
Construction is according to the equality of reason.
Consuetudo alicujus loci lex est legis loci; legi communi specie diversa sed non in genere contraria.
The custom of any place is the law of that place; different in species to common law, but not contrary in kind. ”

“ We ought to prove in general, that in whatever case a condition is imposed upon the will of a master or his agent, in bona fide trials, this is to be considered according to the judgment of a good man. ”

“ Nothing is more foolish than cunning.
Nihil dat qui non habet.
He gives nothing who has nothing.
Nihil facit error nominis cum de corpore constat.
A mistake with regard to the name does nothing, when we are certain of the person.
Nihil in lege intolerabilius est, eandem rem diverso jure censeri.
Nothing is more intolerable in law, than that the same thing be judged by a different rule.
Nihil interest, ipso jure quis actionem non habeat, an per exceptionem infirmetur.
It is of no consequence in the law itself, who may not have an action, or may be weakened by an exception. ”

“ Non minor est proditio legis quam regem velle perdere.
The betraying of the law, is not less than to wish to destroy the king.
Non minus sunt turpia principi multa supplicia quam medico multa funera.
Many punishments are no less disgraceful to a prince, than many funerals to a physician.
Non potest rex gratiam facere cum injuria alterius.
The king cannot do a favour to the injury of another.
Non omnia domino in servos licita.
All things are not allowed to a master towards his servants. ”

“ Ubi remedium in foro seculari ejus rei jurisdictio curiis secularibus tantum datur, nisi servato jure ecclesiæ ipsis verbis.
Where a remedy is in the secular court, the jurisdiction of that matter is granted to the secular courts, only unless the law of the church be preserved in the words themselves.
Ubi substitui vicarius potest non est cogendus quis ad substituendum, sed si substituere velit inveniat idoneum.
Where a substitute can be substituted, no one is to be compelled to substitute; but if he wishes to substitute, let him find a fit person. ”

“ He who assists good men in poverty, gives to the laws; he who assists the wicked and inactive, fosters a multitude of bad people, and is the disgrace of the laws.
Qui causa decedit causa cadit.
He who departs from his cause, falleth from his cause.
Qui cum alio contrahit, vel est, vel debet esse, non ignarus ejus conditionis; hæredi autem hoc imputari non potest, cum non sponte cum legatariis contrahit.
He who contracts with another, either is not, or ought not to be ignorant of his condition; but this cannot be imputed to his heir, since he contracts not of his own accord with the legatees. ”