trite law

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English[edit]

Noun[edit]

trite law (countable and uncountable, plural trite laws)

  1. Laws that are obvious or common knowledge.
    • 1928. Lord Sumner, Levene v. Inland Revenue A.C. 217,227.
      It is trite law that His Majesty's subjects are free if they can make their own arrangements so that their cases may fall outside the scope of the taxing Acts.
    • 2006. Gordon Jackson (Glasgow Govan), Subordinate Legislation Committee Official Report #31, October 2006.
      Trite law is law that, if you do not know it, you should. It is like saying that two and two is four. For example, there is a presumption of innocence in Scotland. That is trite law—something that everybody knows."