He who confirms does not give.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) Confirmation does not constitute a new grant — to confirm is merely to strengthen what already exists, not to create a new right.

Where this applies

• A king confirms an existing land grant to a nobleman, but this confirmation does not create a new grant — it merely strengthens the one that already existed.
• A court affirms a lower court's ruling, which does not create a new judgment but simply confirms the existing one.
• A board of directors passes a resolution confirming an employee's existing authority, which does not expand that authority — it merely ratifies what was already in place.