Court Opinion

ID: 7963119
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-09-09 00:48:07.735173+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:34:33.739234
License: Public Domain

Berry, J.
Unless the contrary clearly appears to have been intended by the legislature, statutes should be construed to be prospective in their scope and operation, and not retrospective. This is a familiar canon of construction. Burwell v. Tullis, 12 Minn. 572; Davidson v. Gaston, 16 Minn. 230 ; Sedgwick on Stat. & Const. Law, 2d ed., 160-173. In accordance with this rule we are of opinion that the clause, (found in Laws 1874, ch. 66, § 1,) “ whenever a married man shall be deserted by his wife,” refers to a future desertion — that is to say, to a desertion beginning after the chapter cited goes into effect. In other words, as respects the class of cases provided for in this clause, the law is purely prospective.
Judgment reversed.