The law would rather suffer a mischief than an inconvenience.

Explanation

The law tolerates a particular injury to one party sooner than it will permit a general inconvenience affecting the whole system of law. In the American system, however, the rights of the individual are themselves part of systemic integrity — the Bill of Rights exists precisely because the Founders understood that sacrificing individual liberty for systemic convenience without due process of law is itself the greater inconvenience.

Where this applies

• The law would rather tolerate one person's injury than undermine the whole legal system.
• Systemic integrity outweighs individual hardship in the law's calculus.
• A particular mischief is preferred over a general inconvenience that affects everyone.

See also

• 12.1.1 An argument drawn from inconvenience is valid in law, for the law will not permit any inconvenience.
• 12.3.5 The law always intends what is agreeable to reason; the law compels no one to do vain or useless things.