Sentence is not given upon matters that are not clear.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) A court will not render judgment on a matter that is unclear or unresolved — the facts must be sufficiently established before sentence can be pronounced.

Where this applies

• A judge refuses to convict a defendant when the key evidence is ambiguous and the facts remain genuinely unclear.
• A court declines to enter a verdict in a contract dispute because the terms of the agreement are so vague that neither side's interpretation can be confirmed.
• A jury is instructed that if the evidence leaves reasonable doubt about what happened, they must acquit — judgment cannot rest on uncertainty.