Punishments

  • Agentes et consentientes pari poena plectentur. Acting and consenting parties will be liable to the same punishment.
  • Carcer non supplicii causa sed custodiae constitutus. A prison is established not for the sake of punishment, but for detention under guard.
  • Cogitationis poenam nemo meretur. No one deserves punishment for his thoughts.
  • Consentientes et agentes pari poena plectentur. Those consenting and those perpetrating will receive the same punishment.
  • Crescente malitia crescere debet et poena. With increase of malice, punishment ought also to increase.
  • Crimen laesae majestatis omnia alia crimina excedit quoad poenam. The crime of treason exceeds all other crimes in its punishment.
  • Culpae poena par esto. Let the punishment be equal to the crime.
  • Culpa vel poena ex equitate non intenditur. Blame or punishment does not proceed from equity.
  • Ex delicto non ex supplicio emergit infamia. Infamy arises from the crime, not from the punishment.
  • Ex frequenti delicto augetur poena. Punishment increases with repeated offense. 2 Co. Inst. 479.
  • Generalis gratia proditionem et homicidium non excipit poena. General favor does not exempt treason and homicide from punishment.
  • Habet aliquid ex iniquo omne magnum exemplum, quod contra singulos utilitate publica rependitur. There is something of injustice in every great example of punishment, which is exacted against individuals for public benefit. Tacitus Annales 14.44.
  • Infantes de damno praestare tenentur, de poena non item. Infants are obliged to make good regarding loss, but not regarding punishment.
  • Lex certa esto; poena certa, et crimini idonea, et legibus praefinita. Let the law be certain; and let the punishment be certain, adequate to the crime, and previously determined by the laws.
  • Lex punit mendaciam. The law punishes falsehood.
  • Lubricum linguae (glossae) non facile trahendum est in poenam. A slip of the tongue ought not lightly to be submitted to punishment.
  • Melior est justitia vere praeveniens quam severe puniens. Justice that truly prevents a crime is better than that which severely punishes it.
  • Minima poena corporalis est major qualibet pecuniaria. The smallest bodily punishment is greater than any pecuniary one.
  • Mors dicitur ultimum supplicium. Death is called the “extreme penalty” (most severe and last).
  • Multiplicata transgressione crescat poenae inflictio. The infliction of punishment should increase with the repetition of the offense. • Coke continues, Ex frequenti delicto augetur poena (q.v.). 2 Co. Inst. 479.
  • Nemo cogitationis poenam patitur. No one suffers punishment for his thoughts.
  • Nemo prudens punit ut praeterita revocentur, sed ut futura praeveniantur. No one who is wise gives punishment so that past deeds may be revoked, but so that future deeds may be prevented.
  • Oderunt peccare boni, virtutis amore; oderunt peccare mali, formidine poenae. Good men hate sin through love of virtue; bad men, through fear of punishment. (Extention of Horace, Epist. 1.16.52.)
  • Optandum est ut ii qui praesunt reipublicae legum similes sint, quae, ad puniendum, non iracundia, sed aequitate ducuntur. It is desirable that those set in authority over the state shall be like the laws of the state, which, in inflicting punishment, are influenced not by anger, but by justice. Cicero, De Officiis 1.89.
  • Peccata suos teneant auctores, nec ulterius progrediatur metus quam reperiatur delictum. Offenses should bind their own perpetrators (only), and threat (of punishment) should not proceed further than the sphere of the crime.
  • Peccatum peccato addit qui culpae quam facit patrocinium defensionis adjungit. A person adds one offense to another, who, when he commits a crime, joins to it the protection of a defense.
  • Perjurii poena divina exitium; humana dedecus. The divine punishment of perjury is destruction; the human punishment is disgrace. Cicero, De Legibus 2.22.6.
  • Poena ad paucos, metus ad omnes perveniat. Let punishment be inflicted on a few, dread on all.
  • Poenae potius molliendae quam exasperandae sunt. Punishments should rather be softened than aggravated.
  • Poenae sunt restringendae. Punishments should be restrained.
  • Poena ex delicto defuncti haeres teneri non debet. The heir ought not to be penalized for the wrong (or crime) of the decedent.
  • Poena gravior ultra legem posita estimationem conservat. A heavier punishment, set beyond the law, preserves esteem (or standing of a defendant otherwise discredited). Dig. 3.2.13.7.
  • Poena non debet anteire crimen. Punishment ought not to precede the charge.
  • Poena non potest, culpa perennis erit. Punishment cannot be, guilt will be, perpetual.
  • Poena suos tenere debet actores et non alios. Punishment should take hold of the guilty (who commit the wrong), and not others. Bracton 380b.
  • Poena tolli potest, culpa perennis erit. The punishment can be removed, but the guilt will be perpetual.
  • Poena vel remedium ex incremento quod prius erat non tollit. Neither punishment nor remedy takes away the preceding increase.
  • Praetextu legis injusta agens duplo puniendus. He who under the cloak of the law acts unjustly should bear a double punishment.
  • Quaelibet poena corporalis, quamvis minima, major est qualibet poena pecuniaria. Every corporal punishment, although the very least, is greater than any pecuniary punishment.
  • Qui non habet in aere, luat in corpore, ne quis peccetur impune. Let him who has not (the wherewithal to pay) in money pay in his person (i.e., by corporal punishment), lest anyone be wronged with impunity.
  • Qui non peccavit poenam non feret. He that has not transgressed must not suffer punishment.
  • Qui parcit nocentibus innocentes punit. A person who spares the guilty punishes the innocent.
  • Transgressione multiplicata, crescat poenae inflictio. When transgression is repeated, let the infliction of punishment be increased. 2 Co. Inst. 479.
  • Ubi culpa est, ibi poena subesse debet. Where the fault is, there the punishment should be imposed.
  • Ubi vetat quid lex neque poenam statuit, poena in discretione judicis est. Where the law forbids anything and has not prescribed a punishment, the punishment is in the discretion of the judge.
  • Ultimum supplicium esse mortem solam interpretamur. We consider death alone to be the extreme punishment.
  • Ut poena ad paucos, metus ad omnes perveniat. Let punishment come to few, dread to all. 4 Coke 124b.