Text of the provision
Art. 10. In case of doubt in the interpretation or application of laws, it is presumed that the lawmaking body intended right and justice to prevail.
(n)
Civil Code of the Philippines, Republic Act No. 386, approved June 18, 1949, effective August 30, 1950. Reproduced in full; verified verbatim against the LawPhil and ChanRobles official-text renderings.
What this article means
When a law is genuinely open to more than one reading, the court must choose the interpretation that produces a just and reasonable result, on the presumption that Congress never intends injustice. It is an aid to construction, not a license to ignore clear text: where the law is unambiguous, the court applies it as written even if the outcome seems harsh (dura lex sed lex).
Related provisions
- Article 9 — the duty to decide despite gaps.
- Article 11 — customs must yield to law and public policy.
Cases interpreting this article
- Authorities on this article will be added here as each is verified against primary sources.
Note. The text of the provision above is reproduced in full from the official enactment (Republic Act No. 386), verified against the LawPhil and ChanRobles renderings. The annotation and commentary around it are the work of Vivas & Nobles Law Office and are general legal information, not legal advice. How a provision applies to a particular situation depends on facts that only a lawyer reviewing your case can assess.