A contrario
By contrary reasoning
A contrario is a legal method of reasoning whereby a conclusion is drawn from the contrary. If a rule applies to a given case, it is presumed not to apply to the opposite case.
Reasoning a contrario is a method of statutory interpretation founded on contrast. Where a legal rule expressly governs a given situation, it follows that the opposite situation falls outside the scope of that rule.
This method is relevant to the interpretation of statutes, regulations and contracts, as it aids in ascertaining the ambit of provisions in the absence of explicit exceptions.
In Dutch legal practice, reasoning a contrario is regularly invoked in civil matters and administrative law to determine whether a provision may be applied by analogy or, conversely, may not.
“The court concluded a contrario that the consumer protection provision did not apply to commercial transactions between undertakings.”
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