Maxim 8.10.10
It is perilous to introduce new and untried things.
Periculosum est res novas et inusitatas inducere.
Source: Co. Litt. 379a; Weisman, 88o
Difficulty 2/5 — Approachable
Explanation
Legal innovation should be incremental and cautious — sweeping changes untested by experience risk undermining the settled expectations upon which all men have ordered their affairs.
Where this applies
- A sweeping judicial reform proposal risks destabilizing the entire legal system.
- Dramatic changes to the law create uncertainty — caution is warranted.
Legal domains
See also
Cite this maxim
NeCede Max. 8.10.10 — It is perilous to introduce new and untried things. — Co. Litt. 379a; Weisman, 88o (Periculosum est res novas et inusitatas inducere.)
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