Maxim 10.2.38
What is never sufficiently said is never said too much.
Source: Co. Litt. 375; Weisman, 104i
Difficulty 3/5 — Intermediate
Explanation
(English-origin maxim.) A matter of such importance that it can never be stated adequately is never stated too often — repetition for clarity and emphasis is not prolixity when the subject demands it.
Where this applies
- A constitution's framers repeated the phrase "due process of law" in both the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments because the protection of individual liberty from government overreach can never be overstated.
- A contract restates the confidentiality obligation in three separate clauses — the opposing party claims redundancy, but the drafter argues that protecting trade secrets is too important to say only once.
- A parent's will repeats in multiple sections that a particular child is to receive nothing — the repetition isn't poor drafting; it's emphasis that the testator's intent cannot be misunderstood.
Legal domains
Cite this maxim
NeCede Max. 10.2.38 — What is never sufficiently said is never said too much. — Co. Litt. 375; Weisman, 104i
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