Famous Sayings and Historical Figures

Latin aphorisms and great jurist-thinkers occupy an important place in the history of law.

Latin Legal Aphorisms

Aphorism	Meaning
Dura lex, sed lex	the law is harsh, but it is the law
Nulla poena sine lege	there is no punishment without law
Ignorantia juris non excusat	ignorance of the law does not release from liability
Pacta sunt servanda	agreements must be kept
Audiatur et altera pars	let the other side also be heard

• Memorize: Dura lex, sed lex, Nulla poena sine lege, Pacta sunt servanda.
• Ignorantia juris non excusat: ignorance of the law is no excuse.
• Do not confuse Pacta sunt servanda with Audiatur et altera pars: the first is about contracts, the second is about the principle of hearing both sides.

Historical Figures

• Hammurabi: the XVIII century BC. He was a king of Babylon and the author of a collection of laws.
• Justinian: Corpus iuris civilis. The codification of Roman law.
• Montesquieu: the separation of powers. His work is "The Spirit of the Laws".
• Amir Temur: "Temur Tuzuklari" ("The Code of Temur").
• Marghinani: the work "Hidaya" (fiqh). Its author is Burhaniddin Marghinani.
• Rousseau: "The Social Contract".