catered for the by designating the last item in the list by using the standard
mathematical designation ‘n’. This means, for example, that the list or range of
elements of any legal rule can be represented as Elements 1-n.
Use of “0”
There is a special case with options where one of the options is to do nothing
and leave things as they are. This occurs, using the obvious example, with the
proposed making of a statute where one option is just not to enact a statute. In
this case the option is labelled with the symbol for nought, namely ‘0’. Thus
the option not to enact a statute is designated as Statute 0. Statute 0 represents
the option for a legislature not to enact a statute on a topic whereas Statutes 1,
2 3 etc are options for different versions of statutes on the topic.
Use of “
”and ˜
In some places the text refers to one thing being the equivalent of another, or
in plain language “matching”. For example, legislation is enacted to achieve a
desired effect and if it is achieved the desired effect matches the actual effect.
In diagrams this relationship is represented by
which is the standard
mathematical notation for equivalence. However, there is an alternative, namely
that in practice the best actual effect is not the equivalent of the desired effect
but is an approximation. This is indicated by the ‘approximately equal to’
symbol (˜).
Two or More Versions of an Item
If there are two or more versions of an item they are distinguished by
additional letters or numbers as the case requires. For example:
(1)
If Element 2 has two meanings, the versions of Element 2 can be
designated Element 2A and Element 2B.
(2)
If there are two versions of Fact 2 in a case, one propounded by the
plaintiff and the other put forward by the defendant they can be designated
“P” and “D” to signify the plaintiff and defendant’s version. Thus the two
versions are Fact 2P and Fact 2D.
Subdivisions of an Item
Subdivisions of an item can be designated with a numbering system that
invokes the form but not the meaning of decimal points. Thus if Element 2 has
three subelements, they can be designated Element 2.1, Element 2.2,
and
Element 2.3. This process can keep going. Thus, if Element 2.2 has two
subdivisions they can be designated Element 2.2.1 and Element 2.2.2.
Corresponding Items
Sometimes there are sets with corresponding items. This can occur for a
number of reasons:
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