This reminds me of the old saw about the tree falling in the forest: if principles exist apart from issues, can you really hear them?

This principle existed to deter people from claiming poor relief.

They all agreed that such a principle existed but their disagreements as to what it was seemed irresolvable.

Amit points out that no such principle exists in international or domestic law.

The underlying social principles which had led to her confinement still existed.

A similar principle, fair dealing, exists in some other common law jurisdictions.

This principle existed long before humans did, so, logically, it cannot be any person's intellectual property.

Although similar characteristics and principles exist, there are several differences between the two types of environmentally sound roofing systems.

A European principle of nondiscrimination thus exists only on paper, but the national right to exceptions is concrete.

But I am standing up for the rights of a parliament to take a vote on something which must in principle exist as a whole.