Top Latin Legal Maxims and Terms Frequently Dictated in Judicial Exams

Never Let a Latin Phrase Ruin Your Skill Test Exam dictations in High Courts regularly slip in Latin maxims to test student comprehension. Master these top outlines: Mens Rea (Guilty mind) — M-N-S-Ray. Habeas Corpus (Produce the body) — H-B-S-K-R-P-S. Res Judicata (A matter already judged) — R-S-J-D-K-T. Ultra Vires (Beyond the powers) — L-Tr-V-R-S. Suo Motu (On its own motion) — S-M-T.

Key terms

Accuracy

The proportion of work reproduced correctly.

Recovery

Returning to the speaker or source after a miss.

Review

Finding and correcting the cause, not merely the visible error.

Example application

Choose one term from this article, demonstrate it in a short exercise, and explain the result in your own words. Teaching the idea back to yourself exposes gaps quickly.