Legal Literacy - Often we hear the word legal principle, some mention adagium, and sometimes the same thing or sentence is referred to as postulates. So what exactly is the difference between a legal principle, adage, old maxim, and postulate? let's see the explanation of the article below!

What are Principles, Adages, Old Maxims, and Postulates?

There are several terms that are often used in place of the term "legal principle". These terms include "adage", "old maxim", and "postulate". In the Big Indonesian Dictionary, "adage" is defined as a saying or proverb. When the law is incomplete, regula pro lege, si deficit lex (a proverb can be used as a guide). According to the Legal Dictionary, "adagium" is defined as a scientific guideline or motto, as well as aphorisms or slogans. On the other hand, "old maxim" translates as an old saying. Therefore, the word "adagium", which comes from Latin, is synonymous or has the same meaning as the word "maxim".

Unlike "adagium" and "old maxim", "postulate" comes from the Latin word postulatum. Postulate comes from an older word, postulare. Literally, postular means to ask or demand, while postulatio is defined as a complaint. The word "postulate" itself means a preposition that is a starting point for a search that is not a definition or provisional supposition. According to the Big Indonesian Dictionary, a postulate is an assumption that forms the basis of a proposition that is considered true without the need to prove. Postulates can also be interpreted as basic assumptions. Based on these various definitions, the word "legal principle" is closer to the meaning of the word "postulate".