Law is not concerned with small details
De minimis means "belongs to the minimum" in Latin, [1][2] usually quoted in
fully as "de minimis non curat praetor" -- which means the law does not deal
with trivial things -- or "de minimis non curat lex." [3][4][5] The phrase
dates back to the 15th century.[6] In essence, the phrase means that, at
certain low levels, the amount of injury or damage involved is considered so
insignificant that it may be ignored.[7]
The law ignores insignificant details.[8] The law does not take account
of trifles. It will not, for example, award damages for a trifling
nuisance.[9]
The law does not concern itself with trifles. This is a principle of law that
states that, even if a technical violation of a law appears to exist according
to the letter of the law, if the effect is too small to be of consequence, the
violation of the law will not be considered as a sufficient cause of action,
whether in civil or criminal proceedings.[10]
The law ignores insignificant details.[8] The law does not take account
of trifles. It will not, for example, award damages for a trifling
nuisance.[9]
The “de minimis” doctrine comes from the Latin maxim de minimis non curat lex,
which means “the law does not concern itself with trifles.” The maxim suggests
that technicalities must yield to practical common sense and justice so as to
avoid expensive litigation.[11]
[1] "De Minimis - Definition, Examples, Cases, Processes". Legal
Dictionary. 2017-06-03. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
[2] "Definition of de minimis | Dictionary.com". www.dictionary.com.
Retrieved 2021-04-08.
[3] Ehrlich, Eugene (1987) [1985]. Amo, Amas, Amat and More. New York:
Harper Row. p. 100. ISBN 978-0-06-272017-7.
[4] Garner, Bryan A. (editor-in-chief) (1999). Black's Law Dictionary (7th
ed.). St. Paul, Minnesota: West Publishing. p. 443.
[5] Walter Keating Kelly (1869), A Collection of the Proverbs of All
Nations.
[6] Max L. Veech & Charles R. Moon, "De Minimis Non Curat Lex", 45
Michigan Law Review. 537, 538 (1947) (quoting Thomas Branch, Principia
Legis et Æquitatis 36 (William Waller Hening ed., T. H. White, 4th London
ed. 1824)).
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_minimis.
[8] Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). De minimis non curat lex. In
Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved September 26, 2021, from
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/de%20minimis%20non%20curat%20lex.
[9] A Dictionary of Law (7 ed.). Jonathan Law and Elizabeth A. Martin
Publisher: Oxford University Press. Published online: 2009. Current Online
Version: 2014eISBN: 9780191726729.
https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199551248.001.0001/acref-9780199551248-e-1087.
[10] https://www.thefreedictionary.com/de+minimis+non+curat+lex.
[11] https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=28142725-cfa9-482e-afb8-895f06b59a21.
