Practice question
A trial judge rejects a controlling Supreme Court interpretation of a statute solely because the judge prefers a different policy. Does Article 8 support that approach?
- No, judicial interpretation forms part of the legal system and a lower court cannot discard controlling doctrine merely for policy preference
- Yes, Article 8 makes all precedents optional
- Yes, a trial judge can reverse Supreme Court doctrine
- Yes, every case starts from a blank legal slate
- Yes, policy preference always repeals statutes
Legal references
- https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1949/ra_386_1949.html — Civil Code, Article 8
- https://lawphil.net/consti/cons1987.html — 1987 Constitution, Article VIII section 4(3)
- https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri2017/nov2017/gr_205837_2017.html — Philippine International Trading Corporation v. COA, G.R. No. 205837, November 21, 2017
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