page_title: Non liquet
hierarchical_section_title: Non liquet
caption_attribution_description: First page from Codex Boernerianus
context_page_description: In law, a non liquet is any situation where there is no applicable law. Non liquet translates into English from Latin as "it is not clear". According to Cicero, the term was applied during the Roman Republic to a verdict of "not proven" where the guilt or innocence of the accused was "not clear". Strictly, a finding of non liquet could result in a decision that the matter will always remain non-justiciable, whereas a lacuna denotes within that concept a lacking hence that the matter should in future be governed by law.
  Loopholes are a subset of lacunae.
  A lacuna describes every specific matter about which no law exists, but a body of public, judicial or academic opinion believes it should, to address a particular issue. A loophole, where properly defined by contrast, denotes that a set of laws addressing a certain issue exists, but can be circumvented due to a technical defect in that law.
context_section_description: In law, a non liquet (commonly known as "lacuna in the law") is any situation where there is no applicable law.  Non liquet translates into English from Latin as "it is not clear". According to Cicero, the term was applied during the Roman Republic to a verdict of "not proven" where the guilt or innocence of the accused was "not clear". Strictly, a finding of non liquet could result in a decision that the matter will always remain non-justiciable, whereas a lacuna denotes within that concept a lacking hence that the matter should in future be governed by law.
  Loopholes are a subset of lacunae. 
  A lacuna describes every specific matter about which no law exists, but a body of public, judicial or academic opinion believes it should, to address a particular issue (often described as "unregulated" or "wholly inadequately regulated" activities or areas).  A loophole, where properly defined by contrast, denotes that a set of laws addressing a certain issue exists, but can be circumvented (or is being exploited) due to a technical defect in that law.
caption: First page of the Codex Boernerianus with a visible lacuna in the non-metaphorical (so non-legal) sense in Romans 1:1-4
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