Little Hawk-In order for anything to be a maxim, it must be valid in all situations. If no maxims exist, then morality must be relative (a view I subscribe to). In that case, you can only worry about what's moral in one particular situation, not general rules. I agree with you that one shouldn't ever give a fallible government the ability to abuse its power, such as authorizing torture or holding persons without evidence, without charging them and without releasing their names and locations. I can only defend it in particular instances, though, because it is possible that a situation might arise where it would be necessary.

McGrath-If a situation MAY never arise, but is still possible, then it means that the possibility exists that the maxim will be contradicted. If that possibility exists, it is not a valid maxim. If the invalidating situation is impossible, then it certainly can't be used in any kind of argument.