Things shall not be void which may possibly be good.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim — no Latin equivalent; the English title is the original form.) Courts will construe instruments to sustain their validity wherever possible — a deed or statute that admits of a lawful interpretation will not be declared void when it can be given effect.

Where this applies

• A deed contains a minor clerical error in the property description, but the court upholds it because the intent is clear and the instrument can be given lawful effect.
• A will omits a standard attestation clause, but the court construes it to be valid because the testator's wishes are plain and the document can still operate as intended.
• A statute uses ambiguous language that could be read as either constitutional or unconstitutional, and the court adopts the constitutional reading to preserve the law's validity.