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NeCede's

Maxim 1.2.8

A dispensation is a wound that injures the common law.

Dispensatio est vulnus, quod vulnerat jus commune.

Source: Davies, Ir. K.B. 69; Weisman, 18f; Weisman, 82c Difficulty 2/5 — Approachable

Explanation

Every special exemption from the common law weakens the law itself — dispensations must be granted sparingly and never presumed.

Where this applies

  • A government grants a special exemption from common law rules to a favored group.
  • A regulatory waiver undermines the equal application of common law principles.

Legal domains

constitutionalequity

See also

Cite this maxim

NeCede Max. 1.2.8 — A dispensation is a wound that injures the common law. — Davies, Ir. K.B. 69; Weisman, 18f; Weisman, 82c (Dispensatio est vulnus, quod vulnerat jus commune.)

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