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NeCede's

Maxim 1.5.121

The law suffers no fractions and divisions of statutes.

Lex non patitur fractiones et divisiones statutorum.

Source: 1 Co. 87; Jackson Difficulty 1/5 — Foundational

Explanation

Statutes must be read as a whole, not cherry-picked in fragments — isolating one clause from its context to defeat the purpose of the act is impermissible.

Where this applies

  • A party cherry-picks one section of a statute while ignoring the rest.
  • A single clause of a law is cited out of context to support a misleading argument.

Legal domains

Cite this maxim

NeCede Max. 1.5.121 — The law suffers no fractions and divisions of statutes. — 1 Co. 87; Jackson (Lex non patitur fractiones et divisiones statutorum.)

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