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NeCede's

Maxim 4.6.2

A thing done between others ought not to injure a person who is a stranger to it.

Res inter alios acta alteri nocere non debet.

Source: Co. Litt. 132, 182; Broom, *Legal Maxims* (1874), pp. 954, 967; Jackson, *Latin for Lawyers* (1915), Max. 932 Difficulty 1/5 — Foundational

Explanation

Transactions between strangers may benefit but cannot bind or injure those who are not parties — no man's rights are diminished by the acts of others done without his consent.

Where this applies

  • A contract between two other parties affects your property rights.
  • A deal you were not part of somehow reduces your legal rights.

Legal domains

contractproperty

See also

Cite this maxim

NeCede Max. 4.6.2 — A thing done between others ought not to injure a person who is a stranger to it. — Co. Litt. 132, 182; Broom, *Legal Maxims* (1874), pp. 954, 967; Jackson, *Latin for Lawyers* (1915), Max. 932 (Res inter alios acta alteri nocere non debet.)

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