Legal Latin Maxims and Statutory Interpretation

Chapter 1: Introduction to Law

• Law is defined as any rule of action or system of uniformity, encompassing human actions and object movements.
• Law is categorized into two main divisions: state law and non-state law.
• State law is promulgated and enforced by the state.
• Non-state law includes divine law, natural law, moral law, and physical law, but these latter are considered legal only in a figurative sense.
• Divine law concerns religious faith, encompassing concepts of sin and salvation. It's formally established through divine revelation.
• Natural law is based on inherent human understanding of right and wrong, deriving from conscience.
• Moral law is a communal standard of right and wrong, determined by a community. It's enforced by social pressure, not legal sanctions.
• Physical law, in a figurative sense, describes the regularities of nature.
• States law is the primary type of law enforced by legal systems.

General Divisions of Law

• State law is enacted, enforced by the state & applicable to rational beings.
• Physical laws apply to all things.
• Divine law is the law of religion and faith, revealed through divine revelation.
• Natural law describes inherent right and wrong derived from understanding.
• Moral law is determined by community standards.

Law, Sources of

• The sources of law in the Philippines include the Constitution, legislation, administrative rules and regulations, judicial decisions, and customs.
• The Constitution establishes, defines, and limits the fundamental government powers. All other laws should conform to the constitution.
• Legislation includes laws passed by the legislature (Congress in the Philippines). This is the most prevalent form.
• Administrative rules and regulations are issued by officials to clarify or enforce general laws, authorized by the legislature.
• Judicial decisions, particularly from the Supreme Court, establish case law, creating precedent for future rulings.
• Customs represent established habits considered binding rules within a specific society.

Law, Classifications of

• Law is classified by purpose (substantive and adjective laws) and nature (public and private law).
• Substantive law defines rights and duties; example: the law of contracts
• Adjective law regulates the processes to execute rights and duties; example: procedural laws
• Public law governs the state’s relationship with people, including criminal law, constitutional law, and administrative law.
• Private law governs the relations between private individuals, including contract law, property law, and family law.

Concepts of Statutory Construction and Interpretation

• Statutory construction and interpretation aims to determine and apply the meaning of legislative intent to actual cases not explicitly addressed in the text
• The courts' role is to ascertain and apply legislative intent from the act as a whole.
• Laws that were enacted later prevail over laws of earlier date in cases with conflicting intent/application that may fall under the scope of the same subject or jurisdiction
• Special laws that specifically govern a scenario prevail over general laws that address broader circumstances; these laws are considered more explicit regarding a case.

General Principles in the Construction of Statutes

• Statutes must be interpreted as a whole, not in isolation.
• The meaning of legislative intent is extracted from the statue as a whole, not individual parts
• Courts have to interpret any contradictory sections to reconcile their meanings
• Later laws take priority over older laws in conflicting contexts/conditions
• Special laws, if applicable, supersede general laws.

The Philippine Association of Medical Technologists, Inc. (PAMET)

• PAMET is the national organization of registered medical technologists in the Philippines.
• PAMET was founded by Crisanto Almario
• PAMET established a newsletter called the "PAMET Link"
• PAMET organized national conventions
• PAMET members played a role in the development and advancement of medical technology in the Philippines