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NeCede's

Maxim 9.5.16

To lie is to go against the mind.

Mentiri est contra mentem ire.

Source: Bouvier's Law Dictionary; 8 Buls. 260 Difficulty 1/5 — Foundational

Explanation

A lie is a deliberate contradiction of what the speaker knows to be true — it is an offense against the faculty of reason itself, not merely against the hearer. (Duplicate maxim — see also 1.5.137.)

Where this applies

  • Someone knowingly told a falsehood in their filing.
  • A witness is deliberately stating the opposite of what they know to be true.
  • The other party is lying on purpose, going against what they know in their own mind.

Legal domains

evidenceprocedural

See also

Cite this maxim

NeCede Max. 9.5.16 — To lie is to go against the mind. — Bouvier's Law Dictionary; 8 Buls. 260 (Mentiri est contra mentem ire.)

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