the spirit of the law

the spirit of the law

The intended meaning of a law by those who wrote it, as opposed to a literal interpretation thereof. It's quite apparent that the CEOs of these companies, while technically acting legally, have violated the spirit of the law in order to further their own profits at the expense of their clients and employees.
See also: law, of, spirit
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • sit on (one's) hands
  • sit on hands
  • sit on its hands
  • sit on one's hands
  • sit on your hands
  • idly
  • sit (idly) by
  • sit by
  • sit idly by
  • stand by
References in classic literature
I stood for the spirit of the law and not the letter; but by the letter Charley made his stand.
Here is a constant stream of men poured forth from five hundred different places; they will interpret the spirit of the law in divers manners, and there should be a unity of conception in the law.
'If they say it would be a peaceful street protest, then that is what it should be in the spirit of the law.
President Erdogan is well known for his diligence and adhering strictly to the letter and the spirit of the law when interpreting the Turkish's undertakings under the London-Zurich Agreements.
The resolution demanded withdrawal of the reference against Justice Isa, saying it had been initiated by bypassing procedure and by directly jumping to the conclusion in violation of the spirit of the law. The resolution vowed to launch a movement for the preservation of independence of the judiciary if the demands were not met by the government.
The members of respective departments too vowed to take strict actions against addicted people and the laws would be implemented with the spirit of the law.
Senator Richard Gordon has urged the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to be careful in drafting the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the newly-enacted Republic Act 11235 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act, and ensure that the spirit of the law would not be lost.
She called the demands 'contrary to the spirit of the law [Prakas 443],' and added that such a demand would cause instability in Cambodia's garment industry, which is already experiencing problems.
The NUPL congratulated the exam takers and challenged them to 'be the one who seeks to truly understand the spirit of the law, to correct the inequities, to make law and justice mean the same.'
"With regards the overall revision of the laws we have undertaken over the last few years a question we always ask is, 'What would football expect?' That's why there's both the letter of the law and the spirit of the law.
Timpson Group chief executive James Timpson - a former visiting professor at Newcastle University's business school - said: "We are happy and proud to pay our taxes and have always strived to pay tax in the spirit of the law.
The central bank in letters addressed and sent to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other border agencies asked them to take required action in the spirit of the law to lookout on inland movement of cash foreign currencies in immensity by uncertified individuals or entities, reported The News.
The CJP said: 'You couldn't get the spirit of the law. Your speech may be satisfying you, but it is not the spirit of the law.
ISLAMABAD -- Implementing Fata Reform Bill in selected tribal areas only, will be against the spirit of the law, said PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar said on Monday.