Law Practice
Jun. 22, 2026
Inconceivable! Judges mangling famous lines from literature
A Shakespearean phrase commonly used to describe ignored rules originally meant the opposite and its evolution illustrates how legal language can drift far from its original meaning.
Stepping away from the Evidence Code for the time being, I've decided to try to write a few columns about our use of language in the law. Today's phrase: "more honor'd in the breach than the observance," from Hamlet, act 1, scene 4, line 16.
I confess to often resorting to this phrase when I'm referring to a Rule of Court that's often ignored (see, e.g., Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.714(b) [civil case-disposition time goals]), but I do usually try...
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