The wisdom of the law cannot be valued by money.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim — no Latin equivalent; the English title is the original form.) The principles of justice embedded in the common law transcend monetary valuation — a court cannot put a price on the rule of law itself, nor can damages adequately compensate for the destruction of legal principle.

Where this applies

• A government offers to settle a constitutional rights case by paying damages, but the plaintiff argues that no amount of money can compensate for the destruction of the principle of free speech.
• A legislature proposes to buy out citizens' gun rights through a compensated surrender program, but opponents argue that the wisdom of the Second Amendment cannot be valued in dollars.
• A city offers to pay a church for the right to demolish it for a road project, but the congregation argues that the principle of religious liberty embedded in law transcends any monetary offer.