Legal Maxims and Jurisprudence Basics MCQs 2026

The maxim actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea means

1. Athe act alone does not make one guilty unless the mind is guilty✓
2. Bevery act is criminal regardless of intention✓
3. Conly thoughts without acts are punished✓
4. Dignorance always excuses criminal liability✓

The maxim ignorantia juris non excusat means

1. Aignorance of fact is never relevant✓
2. Bignorance of the law is no excuse✓
3. Conly judges may ignore statutes✓
4. Dforeign law always applies in Pakistan✓

The maxim ignorantia facti excusat means

1. Aignorance of fact may excuse in appropriate circumstances✓
2. Bignorance of law always excuses✓
3. Call crimes require no mental element✓
4. Devery mistake of law excuses✓

Audi alteram partem is the principle of

1. Adeciding without notice✓
2. Bpunishment before trial always✓
3. Csecret proceedings without record✓
4. Dhearing the other side before a decision✓

Nemo judex in causa sua means

1. Ajudges must always be parties✓
2. Bno one should be a judge in his own cause✓
3. Cparties must judge themselves✓
4. Dprosecutors decide final appeals✓

Res ipsa loquitur literally means

1. Athe thing speaks for itself✓
2. Bthe judge speaks for the law only✓
3. Cevidence is never required✓
4. Dthe accused always confesses✓

Ubi jus ibi remedium means

1. Awhere there is a right, there is a remedy✓
2. Brights exist without enforcement✓
3. Cremedies exist without rights✓
4. Dcourts create rights without law✓

Stare decisis refers to

1. Aignoring all prior judgments✓
2. Bstanding by decided matters; adherence to precedent✓
3. Crandom decision-making✓
4. Dlegislative supremacy over all courts always✓

Ratio decidendi is

1. Aa judge's casual remark with no binding force✓
2. Bthe full text of the Constitution✓
3. Cevery sentence in a judgment equally binding✓
4. Dthe binding legal reason for the decision in a case✓

Obiter dicta are

1. Athe core holding always binding✓
2. Bstatutory provisions in the PPC✓
3. Cmandatory orders of the legislature✓
4. Dremarks by a judge not essential to the decision and not binding precedent✓

Legal positivism, associated with thinkers such as John Austin, emphasizes that law is

1. Aidentical to morality in all cases✓
2. Bderived solely from natural reason without enactment✓
3. Ca command of the sovereign backed by sanctions✓
4. Dalways unwritten custom only✓

Natural law theory traditionally holds that

1. Apositive enactments are the only source of validity always✓
2. Blaw and morality must never interact✓
3. Ccourts should never examine justice✓
4. Dunjust laws may be invalid against higher moral or divine principles✓

The maxim nullum crimen sine lege means

1. Aany act may be punished retroactively✓
2. Bcustom alone creates all crimes without publication✓
3. Cno crime without law✓
4. Dpolice define crimes without statute✓

De minimis non curat lex means

1. Aevery trivial act must be punished maximally✓
2. Bcourts ignore all serious offences✓
3. Cthe law does not concern itself with trifles✓
4. Donly major civil contracts exist✓

Ex turpi causa non oritur actio means

1. Aillegal contracts are always enforceable✓
2. Bcourts must reward fraud✓
3. Cevery immoral act creates a claim✓
4. Dno action arises from a disgraceful or illegal cause✓

Nemo debet bis vexari pro una et eadem causa means

1. Adouble prosecution is always allowed✓
2. Bno one should be vexed twice for the same cause (autrefois acquit/convict related principle)✓
3. Ccivil and criminal liability never coexist✓
4. Dappeals are prohibited✓

Justice delayed is justice denied reflects

1. Aspeed overrides all fair trial rights always✓
2. Bdelay improves accuracy always✓
3. Cthe right to timely adjudication in fair trial discourse✓
4. Dcourts need not give reasons✓

The rule of law requires that

1. Aall persons and authorities are subject to publicly enacted, equally enforced law✓
2. Brulers are above legal constraints✓
3. Csecret decrees govern citizens✓
4. Donly judges are bound by law✓

Hart's concept of law distinguishes primary rules from

1. Asecondary rules of recognition, change and adjudication✓
2. Bonly moral commandments✓
3. Conly religious fatwas without enactment✓
4. Donly police regulations without courts✓

Fuller argued that a legal system must satisfy an internal morality of

1. Apure economic efficiency only✓
2. Bprocedural requirements such as clarity, publicity and consistency (eight desiderata)✓
3. Cmilitary discipline only✓
4. Dunwritten secrecy of laws✓

A declaratory judgment

1. Aalways sends accused to prison✓
2. Bstates rights without necessarily awarding coercive relief✓
3. Ccreates new criminal offences✓
4. Dreplaces the Constitution✓

Equity follows the law means

1. Aequity abolishes all statutes✓
2. Bequity ignores all precedent✓
3. Cequity applies only in criminal trials✓
4. Dequitable principles operate in harmony and do not arbitrarily contradict clear statute✓

He who comes to equity must come with clean hands means

1. Aequity aids fraudsters✓
2. Bequity requires no good faith✓
3. Ca party seeking equitable relief must not have engaged in relevant wrongdoing✓
4. Dequity applies only to the government✓

In statutory interpretation, ejusdem generis applies when

1. Ageneral words following specific items are read to include only things of the same kind✓
2. Bevery word is given widest meaning always✓
3. Cstatutes are never interpreted✓
4. Donly foreign language applies✓

Expressio unius est exclusio alterius suggests that

1. Aexpress mention of one thing excludes others not mentioned✓
2. Bmention of one includes all others automatically✓
3. Csilence expands meaning infinitely✓
4. Dstatutes have no textual limits✓

Mischief rule (Heydon's case) asks what

1. Aonly dictionary meaning from 1600 applies✓
2. Bjudges rewrite statutes freely✓
3. Cpast moral codes replace text✓
4. Dmischief the statute intended to remedy and interprets accordingly✓

Literal rule of interpretation gives words their

1. Aalways widest political meaning✓
2. Bplain, ordinary grammatical meaning unless absurdity results✓
3. Conly historical meaning from foreign law✓
4. Dmeaning chosen randomly by prosecutor✓

Golden rule modifies literal meaning to avoid

1. Aall clear meanings regardless of outcome✓
2. Bonly beneficial results for the accused in every civil case✓
3. Cabsurd or repugnant results✓
4. Dforeign law incorporation always✓

Primary legislation is law made by

1. Ajudges in their personal capacity only✓
2. Bthe legislature (Parliament/Provincial Assembly)✓
3. Cpolice stations✓
4. Dprivate companies alone✓

Delegated legislation refers to

1. Athe Constitution only✓
2. Bjudgments of the Supreme Court only✓
3. Ccustom without any enabling law✓
4. Drules and regulations made under authority of a parent statute✓

Ultra vires means

1. Awithin jurisdiction✓
2. Bbeyond legal power or authority✓
3. Cmandatory compliance✓
4. Dperfectly valid always✓

Mala fide means

1. Agood faith always✓
2. Bnegligence without intent✓
3. Cbad faith✓
4. Dstrict liability only✓

Bona fide means

1. Afraudulent intent✓
2. Bcriminal negligence✓
3. Cabsolute liability without excuse✓
4. Din good faith✓

Sub judice means

1. Aunder judicial consideration; a matter before the court✓
2. Bfinally decided with no appeal✓
3. Cnever filed in court✓
4. Donly under police investigation forever✓

Per incuriam describes a decision given

1. Awith full consideration of all authority✓
2. Bwithout regard to relevant statutory authority or binding precedent✓
3. Cas binding on all future courts always✓
4. Donly by legislature✓

Distinguishing a precedent means

1. Aoverruling the Supreme Court by a magistrate✓
2. Bignoring all facts✓
3. Cshowing material difference so the earlier ratio does not apply✓
4. Daccepting ratio fully✓

Overruling a precedent means

1. Aapplying the earlier case identically✓
2. Bfollowing obiter as ratio✓
3. Crefusing to hear appeals✓
4. Da higher court declares an earlier decision no longer binding✓

Jurisprudence is best described as

1. Aonly court procedure forms✓
2. Bonly police investigation manuals✓
3. Cthe theoretical study of law and legal systems✓
4. Donly accounting standards✓

Custom may become law when it is

1. Aany recent habit of one person✓
2. Balways opposite to statute✓
3. Cancient, continuous, peaceful, certain and not contrary to statute✓
4. Dnever recognized in courts✓

Justice must not only be done but must manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done reflects

1. Apublic confidence in impartial adjudication✓
2. Bsecrecy of all hearings✓
3. Cbias is acceptable if efficient✓
4. Dreasons need not be recorded✓