HRS §1-3
Laws do not apply backward
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗This section says that a new law only affects things that happen after it takes effect. It does not change past events unless the law itself clearly says it should. This is a general rule about how to read all Hawaii laws.
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The statute, as written — Laws not retrospective
A copy, taken August 20, 2026. The version published by the Legislature is the one that governs, and it may have changed since. Check it before relying on anything here.
No law has any retrospective operation, unless otherwise expressed or obviously intended. [CC 1859, §5; RL 1925, §5; RL 1935, §5; RL 1945, §4; am L 1955, c 57, §1(a); RL 1955, §1-6; HRS §1-3]
LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.