Ignorantia juris neminem excusa

“Ignorantia juris neminem excusat” is a Latin legal principle that means “Ignorance of the law excuses no one” in English. This principle implies that claiming unawareness of a law or regulation cannot excuse a person from legal liability or punishment. The law expects individuals to have knowledge of the laws that apply to them, and not knowing a law is generally not a valid defense in legal proceedings.

However, there may be exceptions to this principle in different legal systems and specific cases, particularly if a person can demonstrate that they had a genuine and reasonable excuse for not knowing about a particular law. Factors such as the complexity of the law and the availability of information may also be taken into account by legal systems to determine whether ignorance can be considered a valid defense in a particular situation.