Labels
Introduction
Discussion in this text explains legal method by reference to models.
Sometimes discussion refers to any item such as a statute or a meaning of an
ambiguous provision. On other occasions, though, it refers to a collection, list,
range or set of items. Here the labelling system is explained for the benefit of
readers. The explanation sets out the general use of labels. It is possible that
there may be variations for special cases. Where this happens the text will
indicate that it is a special case or it will be obvious from the context.
General Form
Labels
To designate an item in an abstract way the label or name of the item
commences with a capital letter. Major examples are Element, Statute and
Meaning.
Numbers
Abstracted items in a set, range, list or collection are numbered. For example,
the elements of a legal rule are labelled Element 1, Element 2, Element 3 and so
on. These numbers are ways of identifying elements and distinguishing one
from another. They are generally not intended to create any list according to
preferences or values.
Capital Letters
Where an item is illustrative of some possibility it is designated with a capital
letter, for example Meaning X. A second such item could be designated with
some other letter, for example, Meaning Y.
Special Devices
Range of Items
A range, set, collection or list of items is conveniently designated by the first
and last member linked with a hyphen. For example, where a legal rule has four
elements the list or range of elements can be designated as Elements 1-4.
Use of “n”
In a particular instance there will be a specific number of items in a set. For
example a particular legal rule might be composed of five elements so that the
range of elements would be designated as Elements 1-5. In contrast to this
there is the case of a general model that tries to represent all cases of a set.
Obviously the number of items in the set will vary from case to case. This is
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