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no excuse

no excuse Historically, in legal usage, “no excuse” refers to the maxim that not knowing the law does not excuse a person’s act.

Historically, in legal usage, “no excuse” refers to the maxim that not knowing the law does not excuse a person’s act. The source contrasts this with ignorance of facts, which may in some cases be treated as an excuse.

Also see

Sources

Drafting source: Baldwin Dictionary of Philosophy and Psychology, 1901. 1901 New York Macmillan original; archive index checked 2026-10-18. “Ignorance (in law)” (Ignorance).
public-domain-US · Definition uses new wording; original source retains its stated licence. · Source snapshot SHA-256: 3bc7d233c3d9a542438d25302e1dabff0d5269bb88ec9a0a60725467ad3bb207

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PsychTerms (psychterms.org), CC BY 4.0, version 1. “no excuse.” Development preview.

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