law code Kānāwai Māmalahoe

E943512

Kānāwai Māmalahoe is a foundational Hawaiian legal principle established by Kamehameha I that protects the safety and rights of noncombatants, often summarized as the “Law of the Splintered Paddle.”

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
Kānāwai Māmalahoe 0

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Hawaiian law
humanitarian law principle
legal principle
aimsTo prevent abuse of power by warriors and chiefs
appliesDuring peace
war
appliesTo civilians
noncombatants
the defenseless
the weak
constitutionalStatus embodied in the Hawaii State Constitution preamble
corePrinciple prohibition on harming the defenseless
protection of noncombatants in times of conflict
right to travel in safety
safety of civilians during war
country Hawaiian Kingdom NERFINISHED
creator Kamehameha I NERFINISHED
culturalSignificance embodiment of aloha and protection of the vulnerable
important symbol in Native Hawaiian culture
field human rights
law
military ethics
hasAlternativeName Kānāwai o Māmalahoe NERFINISHED
Law of the Broken Paddle NERFINISHED
hasEnglishName Law of the Splintered Paddle NERFINISHED
historicalEvent Kamehameha I was struck on the head with a paddle that splintered while pursuing commoners NERFINISHED
inception 1797
influenced Hawaiian Kingdom legal traditions
modern Hawaiian views on human rights
inspiredBy an incident involving fishermen and Kamehameha I
jurisdiction Hawaii NERFINISHED
language Hawaiian
legalProtectionFor children
peasants
the elderly
travelers
unarmed persons
women
legalStatus guiding principle for law enforcement ethics in Hawaii
motto Let every elderly person, woman and child lie by the roadside in safety
recognizedAs early form of humanitarian law
symbol of justice in Hawaii
referencedIn Constitution of the State of Hawaii NERFINISHED
resultOf Kamehameha I’s realization of the need to protect commoners
symbolizedBy image of crossed paddles
timePeriod late 18th century Hawaii
usedAsMottoBy Hawaii State Public Defender’s Office NERFINISHED
Hawaii legal and judicial institutions

Referenced by (1)

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Kamehameha I knownFor law code Kānāwai Māmalahoe