Lecture on Statutory Construction

Introduction

• Welcome by Attorney Angel, addressing audience as fellow angels.
• Announcement about upcoming birthday and plan to give care kits.
• Encouragement to like, subscribe, share, and follow on social media.

Presentation Overview

• Focus on fundamentals of statutory construction.
• Discusses basic concepts and rules.

Key Concepts

• Statutes: Written enactments of legislative bodies (laws).
• Construction: Art or process of discovering and expounding the meaning and intention of the authors of the law.
  • Origin: Cited from Caltex vs. Palomar, Supreme Court, and Black's interpretation.
  • Important keywords: art, process, discovering, meaning, intention, doubtful.
• Interpretation: Finding out the true sense of any form of words; enabling others to derive the intended idea (Francis Lieber).
  • Keywords: art, finding out, true sense, author, intended.

Interpretation vs Construction

• Often used interchangeably; both aim to ascertain legislative intent.
• Distinction lies in the use of aids (intrinsic vs extrinsic).

Five Key Questions

1. Purpose: To ascertain and give effect to legislative intent.
2. Necessity to Construe:
   • Language of statute is ambiguous.
   • Reasonable minds disagree on meaning.
3. Not Necessary to Construe: When law is clear and categorical.
4. Subject Matter: Laws, statutes, constitutional construction, ordinances, decrees.
5. Power and Duty to Construe: Judiciary, with limitations (actual case, ambiguity required).

Judicial Limitations

• Must not engage in judicial legislation.
• Judiciary interprets, does not modify or rewrite laws.

Basic Rules of Statutory Construction

1. Clear Language: Apply the law directly.
2. Ambiguous Language:
   • Interpret using intrinsic aids (within language).
   • Construe using extrinsic aids (outside language).

Types of Aids

• Intrinsic Aids: Found within the law (words, punctuation marks).
• Extrinsic Aids: Found outside the law (deliberations, transcripts).

Principles

• Verba Legis: According to the letter of the law.
• Ratio Legis: Reason of the law, spirit of the law.
• Statutes and constitutions must be construed as a whole.

Conclusion

• Encouragement to learn more about statutory construction and appreciate its complexities.
• Gratitude expressed towards teachers and students for support.
• Final positive message to be kind, generous, and to glorify God.

Thank you for listening and watching. Attorney Angel wishes happiness for all teachers and expresses gratitude towards students.