Maxim 1.1.15
Nature takes little heed.
Parum cavet natura.
Source: Vandenheuvel v. United Ins. Co., 2 Johns. Cas. (N.Y.) 127, 166; Weisman, 74g; Wharton, III-248
Difficulty 3/5 — Intermediate
Explanation
Nature operates by fixed principles indifferent to human convenience — courts invoke this maxim to explain why legal fictions cannot override natural facts such as birth, death, or biological parentage.
Where this applies
- A father argues in court that his child's biological parentage should be disregarded because of a legal adoption decree, but the court notes that nature's facts remain unchanged regardless of legal paperwork.
- A developer builds homes on a floodplain and sues when floods destroy them, but the court holds that natural forces are indifferent to human plans and expectations.
- A party in an inheritance dispute tries to deny a blood relationship through a legal technicality, but the court rules that nature's biological facts cannot be overridden by procedural maneuvers.
Legal domains
Cite this maxim
NeCede Max. 1.1.15 — Nature takes little heed. — Vandenheuvel v. United Ins. Co., 2 Johns. Cas. (N.Y.) 127, 166; Weisman, 74g; Wharton, III-248 (Parum cavet natura.)
Found an error? Suggest a correction →