6 canonical passages across 5 cases, quoted by 19 opinions in total. These passages cluster together because the same opinions keep quoting them side by side — they state parts of one doctrine. The anchor passage is from State v. Kahlbaun.
| # | Case | Flag | Canonical passage | Citers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | State v. Kahlbaun Anchor | green | “this intent is to be found in the instrument itself.” | 5 |
| 2 | Hirono v. Peabody | green | “we have long recognized that the hawaii constitution must be construed with due regard to the intent of the framers and the people adopting it, and the fundamental principle in interpreting a constitutional provision is to give effect to that intent.” | 3 |
| 3 | State Ex Rel. Bronster v. Yoshina | green | “the general rule is that, if the words used in a constitutional provision ... are clear and unambiguous, they are to be construed as they are written.” | 3 |
| 4 | Carter v. Gear | green | “a constitutional provision must be construed in connection with other provisions of the instrument, and also in the light of the circumstances under which it was adopted and the history which preceded it.” | 3 |
| 5 | Pray v. Judicial Selection Commission of Hawai'i | green | “in this regard, the settled rule is that in the construction of a constitutional provision the words are presumed to be used in their natural sense unless the context furnishes some ground to control, qualify, or enlarge them.” | 3 |
| 6 | Hirono v. Peabody | green | “must be construed with due regard to the intent of the framers and the people adopting it, and the fundamental principle in interpreting a constitutional provision is to give effect to that intent.” | 2 |
A red or yellow flag on a member means the underlying case has negative treatment — for those, check the case page before relying on the passage.