Opinion ID: 575859
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: method of interpretation

Text: 13 It is helpful to reiterate Louisiana's Civilian methodology with respect to interpreting law and legislation. Under Louisiana's Civil Law tradition, courts look first and foremost to statutory law. The Louisiana Civil Code instructs that [t]he sources of law are legislation and custom, 9 and that [l]egislation is a solemn expression of legislative will. 10 [T]he primary basis of law for a civilian is legislation, and not (as in the common law) a great body of tradition in the form of prior decisions of the courts. 11 The concept of stare decisis is foreign to the Civil Law, including Louisiana. 12 Therefore, in cases such as this we are guided by decisions rendered by the Louisiana appellate courts, particularly when numerous decisions are in accord on a given issue--the so-called jurisprudence constant--but we are not strictly bound by them. 14 We are also guided by the Louisiana legislature's own declarations of how it intends statutes to be interpreted. Words are given their generally prevailing meaning, 13 and the meaning of ambiguous words is sought by examining the context in which they occur and the text of the law as a whole. 14 When a law is clear and unambiguous and its application does not lead to absurd consequences, the law shall be applied as written and no further interpretation may be made in search of the intent of the legislature. 15 But, [w]hen the language of the law is susceptible of different meanings, it must be interpreted as having the meaning that best conforms to the purpose of the law. 16 In addition, [w]hen a statute is susceptible to two or more interpretations, that which affords a reasonable and practical effect to the entire act is to be preferred to one which renders part thereof ridiculous or nugatory. 17