Maxim 1.7.29
The law intends nothing impossible.
Lex non intendit aliquid impossibile.
Source: 12 Co. 89
Difficulty 1/5 — Foundational
Explanation
The law does not command what cannot be done. Where compliance is genuinely impossible, the obligation is excused.
Where this applies
- A law requires something that cannot physically be done.
- A court orders compliance with an impossible condition.
Legal domains
See also
Cite this maxim
NeCede Max. 1.7.29 — The law intends nothing impossible. — 12 Co. 89 (Lex non intendit aliquid impossibile.)
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