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HRS §1-19

Who counts as a “person” in Hawaii law

This section explains that the word “person” in Hawaii law can mean more than just an individual human. It can also mean companies, groups, communities, or the public, depending on the context. It is a general rule about how to read the law.

everyone

The statute, as written — "Person", "others", "any", etc

The word "person", or words importing persons, for instance, "another", "others", "any", "anyone", "anybody", and the like, signify not only individuals, but corporations, firms, associations, societies, communities, assemblies, inhabitants of a district, or neighborhood, or persons known or unknown, and the public generally, where it appears, from the subject matter, the sense and connection in which such words are used, that such construction is intended. [CC 1859, §17; RL 1925, §16; RL 1935, §17; am L 1939, c 150, §1; RL 1945, §16; am L 1945, c 233, §3; am L 1955, c 57, §1(e); RL 1955, §1-24; HRS §1-19]
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.